Fixed Points Revised
by NoHinny
Summary: This is the revision of my original story: Fixed Points. Draco, Hermione, and Harry are sent back in time to fix the mistakes that led to the fall of the wizarding world.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey everyone! So, my sister and I are cleaning things up a bit. Here's an edited and revised version of our first chapter.

Harry stood trembling in front of Voldemort, never once averting his green eyes. He knew what he had to do. He wasn't afraid.

"Come to die?" Voldemort asked, a smirk playing across his face. The dark lord raised his wand.

Harry looked to his left where Draco lay drowning in his own blood, the sword of Gryffindor drenched in red. The blond had been so brave, agreeing to take on Tom after seeing his own parents killed by the madman. He hadn't hesitated, grabbing the closest thing to him. Did he even recognize he had taken the brightest symbol of the Gryffindor house? He probably would have thrown up if he'd known.

The brunet turned to his right were Hermione lay, eyes open, unseeing. She had gone up against Ron, when he turned on them. The redhead had pulled Harry toward Riddle, and Hermione had taken to using any hex she could think of at the time. The traitor had won, though. Harry should have never taught him _Sectumsempra_.

He looked Voldemort in the face and offered himself up. To Voldemort's right, stood the boy Harry thought had been his best friend. Ron Weasely laughed as Voldemort uttered the cursed words: _Avada Kedavra_. Harry knew no more.

The moment Harry's heart stopped beating, a shockwave rang out through Great Britain, pulsing magic through the air. Every magical being dropped dead. The shockwave grew. Soon, the entire population of the wizarding world had perished.

Outside of time and space, Fate and Time looked at one another, eyes wide with concern.

"Well that's not right." Fate sighed as Time shook its head. They turned and there before them were the two wizards and witch in question, dazed and confused.

"Where are we?" Harry asked, struggling to quite comprehend what had occurred.

"Are we in heaven?" Hermione asked, her nose scrunching as she caught sight of the one person she last expected to be there.

"I think I'm in hell," Draco said, glaring at the other two, disdain written all over his face.

"Enough!" Fate demanded, looking from wizard to witch to wizard. "I had it up to here with you. All your fighting, all your animosity, it's been a distraction from what you needed to do.

"This is where everything went pear shaped. The three of you were supposed to be friends. Had you just followed the lead _I_ gave you, the wizarding world would still be alive."

"We're all dead? Every single wizard in Britain?" Harry asked.

"The world," Time said. All three gaped.

"Now, because we cannot let the entirety of the wizarding population die out, we are offering you a chance to redeem yourselves," Fate added.

"Really? Oh, thank you," Hermione said.

"But…" Fate said.

"There's a but?" Draco asked, looking decidedly more concerned. _What could be the but? Nothing good ever comes from a but_ …Draco thought.

"But…you three must be friends. You must become the Golden Trio, like you were meant to be, before the three of you decided that you didn't like each other enough to get along."

"No…instead, you choose to befriend that dirtbag Weasely," Time said, rolling its eyes and sneering. "He's the idiot that kept Harry from becoming the great wizard he was supposed to be and made Hermione feel like trash."

"Also," Fate looked pointedly at Time to stop the rant, "if you take this option, you cannot change the direct timeline. You can make small changes, but there are fixed points that must stay the same. These things might not seem obvious to you, but when you get there, you will know you've reached a fixed event."

Draco, Harry, and Hermione looked at each other. Could they do it? Could they really go back and be friends to one another? What about their shared past? What about all the awful things they had done to one another? Could they really leave that all behind them and start anew?

"One thing…can we tell anyone we are time travelers?" Harry asked. Time and Fate looked at one another.

"That's usually against the rules. I'd advise against it unless you find it absolutely necessary. The more people that know, the more likely things will change inadvertently," Time said with caution.

Harry looked to Hermione. Hermione looked to Draco. Draco looked to Harry. Hermione and Draco nodded to Harry. He turned to Fate and Time.

"We'll do it."

Time and Fate looked at one another and smiled. Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, and Draco, Harry, and Hermione lost their footing.

Harry sat up, short of breath, holding back a scream. He looked around. He saw the broken toy soldiers standing on the rotting wooden shelf. He wildly grasped in front of him to grab the string he somehow knew was there. His hand connected with it and he pulled. The light came on, bathing him in a soft glow as he looked around. He was in his cupboard. He was at the Dursleys. He looked down at himself. He was ten years old.


	2. Chapter 2

Diagon Alley

Harry stood on the platform at Madame Malkins, entranced by his trip down memory lane. He forgot how funny Dudley's pigtail was. And how strong did Hagrid have to be to bend the rifle that way?

"Potter."

Harry shook his head, glancing over to his right. Draco Malfoy stood stalk still, only turning slightly to face the brown-haired boy, a smug look pinching his face. The-boy-who-lived scanned the room, checking for spies and eavesdroppers.

"Malfoy," Harry said, biting back any snarky response that may have popped into mind. He averted his gaze toward the mirror. "Have you considered what Time and Fate had to say?"

Draco eyed Harry, one eyebrow quirked. "Which part? That we need to fix things, or that we must become friends?"

Harry's eyes rolled. "Both."

Malfoy yawned, feigning boredom. "I suppose." He held out his hand. "Will you accept my hand this time?"

Harry smirked. "I guess. Will you be less of a prat this time?"

"That's a lot of words. Didn't know you had that many in you," Draco said as Madame Malkin walked in.

"Hogwarts, dear?" She asked Harry. He nodded. "Well, then, we'll have to get you fitted. Let's just take off your shirt so we can get an accurate measure." She yanked his overgrown shirt over his head.

Draco glanced over, about to continue, when his mouth dropped. Pale lines adorned almost every inch of the savior of the wizarding world. A big purple bruise continued to swell on the right side of his abdomen, and a pale green bruise covered his left sternum. Why did Potter have welts? How could the Golden Boy be covered in scars? Did old battle wounds come back with you when you travel in time? Draco subtly glanced at his left arm. It was pale, so unlikely past bodily markings followed them to this timeline.

The blond waited, remaining silent, until the madame left to get several reams of cloth.

"So, Potter, how did you come across all those?" Draco asked, pointing to a group of several fresh cuts.

Harry paused and shifted nervously. "Nothing. Nowhere."

Draco smirked. "Seriously? Bruises just magically appear on the skin of the boy-who-lived?"

Harry's eyes flashed. "I hate that name."

"Fine, scarhead, I won't call you that again. My question still stands."

The brown haired boy reddened. "Just shut up, okay? It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me," Draco said, arms crossed.

"Why do you care?"

"Because I'm human. Not even the dark lord would allow that type of damage to be done to a child."

"I'm not a child," Harry said, sneering.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Maybe not now, but are you going to tell me that those weren't there the last time you were here?"

Harry sighed, averting his eyes to the floor. "Fine, if you must know: it's…my uncle."

The blond quirked a brow. "Your uncle? I thought you were the last of the Potter line. How do you have an uncle?"

"My mom's sister, doofus. She married, hence an uncle."

"Hey," Draco held up his hands, "no need to get nasty. I'm just clarifying." He sighed. "What'd your uncle do?"

Harry shrugged. "He just…gets a little frustrated sometimes." Harry quickly looked up at the ceiling. "He doesn't know how to deal with it. He can't help it. Usually, it's my fault anyway, so it's nothing."

Draco gaped. Could the savior of the wizarding world not be as pampered as he originally thought?

"Potter, I don't care if you killed a man," the blond paused. "Well, I mean, you did, but that was a good thing." He shook his head. "Beside the point. I don't care if you kick puppies for fun or destroy half your house on a regular basis. No one deserves to be beaten."

Harry stared at the floor. "It's not a big deal. Just forget about it."

Before Draco could continue, the seamstress returned with several freshly made robes. She handed them to the blond, turning to Harry to finish some alterations.

Draco jumped off the pedestal, hand extended again.

"Well, _Harry_ , it's been lovely getting to know you. I can't wait to see you at King's Cross." He smiled brightly. "You know what? We should write over the summer. Yes, that's a great idea. Wouldn't want any burgeoning friendship fizzling out with the lack of communication." He smirked at Harry's gaping mouth. "What's your address?"

"Number Four, Privet Dr, Surrey," Harry said, eyes wide.

"Great, I'll owl you. We can catch up on quite a few things. I'm sure you're next to hopeless on the ways of the wizarding world." The blond paused, eyes narrowing. "And you'll tell me whenever your uncle gets…frustrated."

Harry shook his head, opening his mouth to come up with some excuse to get out of it.

"'Arry."

The boys looked out the window to find Hagrid looming over the sill, a birdcage in hand. "Happy birthday, 'Arry," the giant said, smiling brilliantly.

Draco's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Well, I guess that's my cue to go."

"Malfoy, wait…"

"I'll hear from you soon," Draco said as he walked away, refusing to hear any of Potter's blabbering about owls and muggle neighborhoods.

When Draco got home, the first thing he did was run up to his room to compose a letter to Harry. He wasn't sure what he should say, so he had to throw the parchment out a couple times. Eventually, he came up with something he was willing to send to his new…friend.

 _Harry,_

 _How are you? I hope you are doing well. I am fine, but thought I would owl you right away so I did not forget (and you wouldn't conveniently forget). I was wondering, what exactly happened this year? It would be nice to know, you know. If we could get on the same parchment, that would be helpful._

 _Hope you are enjoying your summer,_

 _Draco_

Draco sneered. It was stilted, and a lot more formal than he would ever want to be with a friend...had he ever sent Crabbe or Goyle a letter like this? They probably wouldn't have even read it. The blond shook his head, attaching it to his owl. This would have to do.

Harry's reply came quickly. The next evening, Draco saw a brilliant snowy owl flutter into his window, perching on his desk. He smiled, handing her a few owl treats before taking the missive from her.

 _Draco,_

 _Yes, it probably is a good idea we get on the same…parchment. I am fine, thank you. I may not respond as quickly as I did today. Uncle gets_ frustrated _when his meals are late or the house isn't clean._

 _So, what you need to know about this year: Hagrid already snagged the Philosopher's Stone as he helped me grab the money I would need._

 _After you didn't show up for our duel (thanks for that, by the way), Ron, Hermione, and I had to dodge Filch and Mrs. Norris. That's when we met Fluffy. Now, I know what you're thinking: who's Fluffy? Sounds like a nice, cuddly familiar, right? Wrong. Fluffy's a Monstrous Cerberus. He's probably not as big as I remember him being. I mean, I was eleven, but he was huge. Imagine running from Filch to that._

 _Anyway, Fluffy guarded a trapdoor that led to the Philosopher's Stone. Throughout the year, we tried to solve the three-headed puzzle that was Fluffy and the trapdoor, when we finally figured out that someone was going after it, and we needed to stop them._

 _There were five obstacles we had to pass through to get through to make it to the stone. The first was Devil's Snare, which Hermione got through easily. The second was a set of winged keys that I had to grab with the help of a trusty broom. The third, well, let's just hope you can play chess, because Ron got us through the transfigured chessboard obstacle. Fourth was a troll that was already unconscious. Fifth was a logic puzzle and potion created by Professor Snape._

 _I don't like to talk about what happened after that. Let's just say, Quirrell died, I got the stone, and Voldemort left in spectral form._

 _So, yeah. That's all that happened. I really should get going now, get ready for bed and all that._

 _Talk to you soon,_

 _Harry_

Draco stopped, thought for a moment, and then started writing. Soon, he sent Hedwig off and watched happily as she flapped her wings, the sun setting in front of her. He sat back and thought about the coming year. Maybe, just maybe, Harry would be a good friend to have. He went to bed, smirking, thinking about how just a few weeks ago, that thought would have seemed ludicrous.

The next evening, Harry received a reply to his last letter. He had to keep from smirking as he read it. Yes, this definitely seemed a strange turn of events, befriending Draco.

 _Dear Scarhead,_

 _Who the heck names a Cerberus Fluffy? It's like naming your pet dragon Lizard._

 _Dumbledore was very conspicuous, sending Hagrid with a curious eleven-year-old to collect a dangerous and confidential artifact. The giant can't keep a secret to save his life, and what would have happened if someone had attacked him while you two were out and about. Beside that, isn't is the deputy headmistress's job to deal with muggleborn/raised students? Why was Hagrid tasked with taking you in the first place?_

 _Well, I guess the stone was pretty important if Dumbledork decided to hide it behind a three-headed dog and a troll. But, you all made it through, so it couldn't have been that hard. They should have come up with a few more puzzles for Quirrell to solve, if they really wanted to protect it. Better yet, why not just hide it somewhere other than a school full of children? I don't think he thought that through completely._

 _What should your uncle care if you are writing letters to a friend? How does that keep dinner from being made or the house being clean? He doesn't make you do them, does he? Merlin, Potter, if he does make you work like a house-elf, I am going to come down there myself and…and…I don't know what I'll do, but it will be just as cruel and unusual as treating a young wizard as a slave._

 _Have you thought on whether anyone else has their memories, or are we the only two?_

 _Anyway, awaiting your reply,_

 _Draco_

Harry had to laugh. Maybe Malfoy would be a good friend. He had to grimace, though, as he looked at the heading. Was that the game he wanted to play? Harry smirked. Well, it was a game two could play. He started his reply.

 _Ferret,_

 _Don't be too hard on Dumbledore. He has to make tough decisions, and he was just trying to do his best._

Harry paused, putting down his pen. It was strange, though, that the headmaster felt the need to keep the stone at the school. Weren't there other ways to protect it that didn't include endangering student lives? And there was the fact that Dumbledore refused to tell him about his scar, though he did have a reason.

Harry shook his head. He had told Draco Dumbledore was doing his best, and he had to believe that was true. He picked up the pen.

 _The headmaster has his own way of doing things. I try not to think about it too much, but I'm sure he has good reasons for what he does why he does._

 _In answer to your question concerning Fluffy, who thought it was a good idea to introduce us to a hippogriff third year? Hagrid's not the best or brightest when it comes to kids, but he sure does love his animals._

 _And the whole thing with the deputy headmistress? Maybe McGonagall was busy that day, or maybe Dumbledore saw it as poetic justice, since Hagrid was the one to bring me to Privet Drive. I don't know, but it was perfectly fine and nothing went wrong...except maybe for the fact that he forgot to tell me how to get onto the Platform. No worries, though, the Weasleys helped me out (oh, yeah, Ron. Uck, I forgot I would have to deal with him. Do you possibly know when he turned over to Voldemort? I want to know when I can't trust him anymore)._

 _Yes, my uncle makes me do chores. Yes, I live like a bloody house-elf. I even have my own little cupboard under the stairs for my bedroom. Yes, it's a disgrace to me as a wizard. Whatever. You can be mad about it, just don't do anything stupid like come and rescue me in a flying car. Tried it, do not want to do it again._

 _Eagerly awaiting your reply._

Draco sighed as he read Harry's letter. The Gryffindor was too trusting for his own good. He should have been sorted into Hufflepuff. There was something off about Dumbledorf, and he was going to prove it to the boy-who-lived.

The blond shook his head, grabbing a quill and parchment.

 _Harry,_

 _I can't believe you're okay with being a slave to your uncle. Don't worry, I won't save you in a flying car (whatever that is), but don't believe for one second I won't do everything in my power to get you out of there._

 _As to the Weasley problem, I didn't know until the day of the battle he'd turned. I'd say, keep your distance in general (not that it should be a big issue. Doubt he'll want to stick around with me). Even if Weasley wasn't actively against you the whole time, it was obvious to everyone and their brother that he was just using you to gain attention._

 _What were the Weasleys doing on the muggle side of the barrier anyway that day? They should have apparated, especially with that many children. What were they trying to do, cause a scene? It's not like six redheads with various owls and rats would be inconspicuous..._

And so the summer went. Harry and Draco continued to write letters to one another. Harry usually let Draco know in some fashion if Uncle Vernon was "frustrated" or not and Draco would try to tell some funny story about his current conversations with Crabbe and Goyle (his father was still forcing the idiots down his throat. The blond wondered what would happen to the two dunces once he started hanging out with a muggleborn). The fact he could come up with as many funny stories as he did, spoke to the lack of brain capacity the two shared.

In the end, the boys talked mostly about preparing for Hogwarts. Harry was not leaving anything to chance, and Draco was happy to comply. They refused to make any concrete plans without checking for other "survivors", but creating basic strategies was Draco's wheelhouse.

Harry smiled as he sent out the last owl before summer ended. Yes, things were definitely going to change.


	3. Chapter 3

The First Train Ride

Harry looked behind him to the car where he could hear his uncle and cousin laughing their heads off. His aunt looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there. Good, let her feel completely out of place and embarrassed for a change. Harry had to deal with that for how many years?

The boy-who-lived turned back and surveyed the wall between platforms nine and ten. The words Draco wrote resonated with him. It was strange that Dumbledore sent Hagrid to introduce him to the magical world. Even more so that the giant somehow conveniently forgot to mention how Harry could get onto the Hogwarts' Express, forcing the boy to rely on the kindness of strangers who firmly allied with Dumbledore.

Harry shrugged. There must have been a reason for it. At least he knew this time. He readied himself and sprinted towards the wall, gliding through the entrance smoothly onto Platform 9 ¾ .

As soon as he got through, he nearly toppled over none other than Draco. Harry's eyes widened. Was this why Dumbledore didn't tell him about the entrance? So instead of meeting Draco first, he would meet the Weasleys? Harry scowled. It didn't sit well with him. He didn't like being controlled.

Draco smirked, dusting himself off. "Hey Scarhead!"

The boy-who-lived shook his head, ridding himself of the errant thoughts. "How are you, Ferret?"

"I'm good, you?"

Harry opened his mouth to reply, but no sound escaped as Lucius and Narcissa walked up behind their son, glowering. Draco looked at Harry concerned, and then glanced over to where Harry stared in silent terror. The blond's smile vanished.

"Draco, care to introduce us?" Lucius asked snidely.

Draco quivered as he turned to Harry. "Harry, these are my parents, Lord and Lady Malfoy. Mother, Father, this is Harry Potter."

Lucius used the end of his cane to swipe Harry's fringe away from his scar. "Ah, the boy-who-lived. What a surprise to see our Draco already knows you."

Harry grimaced at the cane touching his scar.

"We met at Madame Malkins. He's the one I've been owling," Draco said quickly. His mother surveyed the boy in front of her and sniffed disdainfully. Harry glanced down at his cousin's castoffs and almost wished to do the same. However, he had an image to project. He would not let the Malfoys get to him.

Harry bowed. "A pleasure to meet you, Lord Malfoy, Lady Malfoy."

Draco's brows disappeared behind his hairline as he stared at the black-haired boy. He never knew Potter could be so polite, even when someone treated him like crap.

"So, Harry, you ready for your first day at Hogwarts?" Draco asked, smiling glibly.

"Yes, I am. I can't wait to finally use my magic. My aunt and uncle aren't big fans, so, I couldn't really study my books like I wanted."

Before Lucius was able to scoff, Harry caught a glimpse at the next group coming through the barrier-a large group of redheads, one with dirt on his nose. Harry couldn't believe it: Ron was there. The traitor! The sneak! The lowlife! Harry was about to come up with a few other creative names for the creep when Draco caught his arm and turned him ninety degrees. There, beside all the Weasleys, was Hermione.

Hermione, did she remember? Was she another one who went back in time?

"Harry?" Hermione called as she walked their way.

"Mione?" Harry asked, brow furrowed. Hermione shook her head and he ran and embraced her. "Hermione, I'm so glad you're here!"

"I'm glad you're here, too," she said, glancing over at the Malfoys. She quirked an eyebrow. "You remember? Time and Fate?" She whispered in his ear. He nodded discreetly. Hermione turned to Draco. "Hi, I'm Hermione Granger. You are?"

"Draco, Draco Malfoy."

"Well, Draco, it's a pleasure to meet you." Hermione smiled. Draco went for a handshake, but Hermione grabbed him up in a hug. "Time and Fate?" She whispered in his ear, much like she had with Harry.

The blond nodded. "Time and Fate and best friends."

Hermione drew back and smiled.

The train whistle blew. Harry, Hermione, and Draco said goodbye to the Malfoys and ran off. They boarded the train and quickly found an empty compartment.

"You guys made it!" Hermione almost squealed as she hugged Harry again.

"You did, too. I can't believe we were allowed to keep all our memories from last time," Harry said, as he squeezed Hermione one more time.

"Well, pretty useless to go back in time if we made the same mistakes and assumptions again," Draco said, looking at his fingers with disinterest.

"Oh, Draco, we need to fill you in. There's so much we need to do this year, and…" Hermione started.

Harry held up his hand to stop her. "I already told him the basics."

Hermione grinned in satisfaction.

"Seriously? Fluffy?" Draco said, raising his voice.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Hagrid. He's also hiding an acromantula colony in the Forbidden Forest and has a giant for a half-brother."

Hermione shivered. "Grawp, oh boy! I forgot about him!"

"Whose big idea was it to allow this man to be in charge of anyone, let alone students?" Draco questioned.

Harry looked him right in the eye. "Dumbledore."

The blond shook his head. "Seriously, the man's an idiot."

"Draco," Hermione said, eyes widening. "Show some respect."

"Why?"

"He's our headmaster." Hermione held up a finger. "He's the leader of the light." She held up another one. "He's a great wizard. The list goes on."

Draco scoffed. "He's also a master manipulator and pro chess player, using all of us as his little pawns."

"How dare you?" Hermione scowled. "Can you believe him, Harry?" She turned to the boy. He averted his eyes. "Harry? Say something."

Harry nibbled his lip. "I don't know, 'Mione. I mean, he does seem a little nutters sometimes."

Hermione's eyebrows disappeared behind her banges. "Excuse me?"

"He hid the philosopher's stone in a castle full of children."

"It was the safest place for it."

"He let Potter play in a tournament that nearly got him killed," Draco said, arms crossed, "three times."

"He had no choice."

Harry scowled. "Battle of the seven Harrys."

Draco's eyes widened. "Battle of the who now?"

Harry smirked. "When I was leaving Privet Drive last year, we had to get me out of there without garnering too much attention. So, Dumbledore told Moody to get six other people to all take polyjuice and pretend to be me, so that there would be decoys to thin the herd of death eaters."

"That is dumb," the blond snorted. "Why not just have you take polyjuice with the hair of some random muggle?"

Hermione's shoulders sagged. "Alright, fine. I see your point."

"Thank you," Harry said, smiling. "Never thought I'd live to see the day Hermione Granger would say I had a point. Never heard it once last time around."

"Shh," Hermione shushed, grabbing her wand. "Not so loud. We can talk once I put up a silencing charm. _Muffli_ …"

"Granger," Draco grabbed the girl's hand. "Stop. You can't do magic outside of Hogwarts. The trace on your wand will go off the second you do."

Hermione dropped her wand, pouting. Silence filled the air for a few moments.

Suddenly, the young girl's eyes sparkled. "Not if we take off our trackers."

"Seriously?" the blond asked, eyebrow quirked.

"Why not?"

"That would be great. Then, we could do magic over the summer! We could protect ourselves," Harry said excitedly.

Hermione's smile broadened at her friend's apparent joy. However, it quickly faded.

"Oh, Harry, I don't think we can take yours off. I know you had some struggles with the Ministry and this would be one less thing to worry about, but we need the trace on your wand for fifth year. How would we explain why your wand didn't have one after the query came out concerning the dementors?" Hermione asked as Harry scowled.

"Dementors? Fifth year?" Draco asked, his brow furrowed.

"The summer after fourth year, Umbridge sent out a pair of dementors to attack Harry and his cousin. They almost succeeded in giving him the kiss before he used his patronus to escape. It's what lead to his trial and the ministry involvement in the school," Hermione said.

"Why can't I take it off and pretend to be surprised that it's off?" Harry asked pathetically.

Hermione quirked an eyebrow. "Do you want more trouble that year? You already are up against Umbridge with her accusing you of lying. Do you want that to be true? Do you want to lie to the ministry?"

"I guess I understand why we have to keep mine on, but I don't like it." Harry muttered, crossing his hands over his chest.

"Duly noted," Hermione said as she peered over at Draco. "Well, Draco, what about it? Are we going to take our tracers off?"

Draco nodded vigorously. "You don't have to ask me twice."

"Well, then, I think we found our first research project."

Draco smirked and Harry rolled his eyes but smiled at his best friend. It was agreed. The first thing they would do after they got to Hogwarts was research how to get the tracers off Hermione and Draco's wands.

They all fell back into a companionable silence. Draco swished his wand a few times and sighed as they watched the English countryside drift by through the window.

Suddenly, Ron came bursting through the sliding door.

"Are any of you Harry Potter?" he asked bluntly, eyes roving their faces looking for the lightning bolt scar.

Harry sighed. "That would be me."

A smile fell over the youngest male Weasley's face. His eyes glistened and he snuggled up right next to Hermione. Draco turned to Harry, smirking as he rolled his eyes.

"Hiya, Harry, I'm Ron Weasley."

"Hi Ron, I'm Harry."

"Well, that much is obvious," Ron said, smiling as he rolled his eyes. "You're the most famous wizard around, side from Dumbledore." Harry grimaced. "Can I see your scar?"

"I actually don't like showing it off," Harry said as he adjusted his fringe over the infamous mark.

"Oh," Ron said, his entire demeanor deflating. His eyes quickly sparked again. "Well, that's okay. I can see it later."

Harry sighed. Had Ron always been this presumptuous?

"I guess…"

Ron surveyed the occupants of the room, sneering as he caught sight of the blond. "Do you want to come to my carriage? My brothers are in there, along with my friend Neville Longbottom, and I know they want to meet you."

Harry shook his head. "No thanks, Ron. I'm comfy here." He smirked. "But you're more than welcome to stay with Hermione, Draco, and me."

Ron peered over at Draco again and sneered again. He turned back to Harry, balancing the options in his head.

"I'd love to, Harry, but I'm going to go back to Neville. I'll see you in Gryffindor, when you're keeping better company." The redhead got up and walked out of the carriage.

"Was I really that pompous?" Draco asked as Harry sat back down.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other.

"Yes," they said in unison. Draco rolled his eyes.

"I love how he assumes we'll be in Gryffindor," Harry said as Hermione giggled.

Draco snorted. "Why wouldn't you be?"

Harry shrugged. "Well, the hat wanted to put me in Slytherin."

"What? The Gryffindor Golden Boy was supposed to be in Slytherin?" Draco's eyes widened. "How'd you end up in Gryffindor?"

"Well, I had already met you. That put me off of it automatically. Besides, people told me that only dark wizards went to Slytherin, so I kept asking the hat to put me anywhere else."

"Maybe we should see what people would think by putting you guys in Slytherin."

Hermione shook her head. "No offense, Draco, but if you want to get out from under your father's shadow, I think you need to be elsewhere." Draco yelped. "Just something to think about. You don't have to, but just saying."

Draco dropped his eyes, letting silence fall over him. A Malfoy in another house? Better yet, a Malfoy in Gryffindor? What would his father say? The older blond certainly wouldn't like it, and the chance of being disowned tripled if Draco befriended a muggleborn. All the Malfoy money would disappear from his vaults. How would he survive?

Sorting hat

As the train came to a stop, Harry, Draco, and Hermione filed off into the Hogsmeade station. The crowd was deafening, but still Harry could hear Hagrid's call.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"

Harry smiled. He was back at his beloved Hogwarts: its towers and spires intact, its occupants at peace and unconcerned about the coming war. Sighing, he walked over to the half giant.

"Hey Hagrid!"

The giant wrapped the boy in a suffocating hug. "Harry! How yuh doin'? Did yuh get to the platform a'right?"

"I'm good." Harry smiled. "And yes, I got there okay. It wasn't too hard." Harry didn't mention how odd it was that Hagrid "forgot" to tell him about the platform, but mentioned it now.

Once Hagrid had collected all the first years, they headed toward the boats.

"No more than four on a boat." He told them. Harry and the crew-regrettably including Ron-got in. All four made no pretense of holding in their amazement as they crossed the Black Lake.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid said, his eyes sparkling. Even at sixty-two, it was still a sight to behold

Many gasped as the castle came into view. The turrets towered over the stony ramparts, and the buttresses flared out against the spiraling towers.

"I will never tire of seeing Hogwarts," Hermione whispered to Harry, who smiled and nodded.

"So, Harry," Ron said, shaking his head to rid himself of the fog caused by the majestic structure, "what do you want to do first? I can take you to the pitch for some flying. I'm sure the twins will let us borrow their brooms…"

The redhead droned on and on, never once considering that the trio did not want to hear his opinions on the Chudley Cannons or the best way to detroll a garden. He only ever took a pause to glance down at the water, blanching momentarily before continuing on with his rant.

Draco rubbed his temples, fearing that redheaded lectures could cause sudden onsets of migraines. His eyes popped open, suddenly, his lips curling into a smile.

"You know, I heard there's a giant squid who eats children on their way to the castle. Supposedly, it prefers redheads," he whispered behind his hand.

Ron's eyes widened, before narrowing at the young Malfoy. "I'm not gonna fall for that one, Malfoy." He sneered, his chin jutting out; however, he kept eyeing the water, and scooting closer to Hermione.

"I'm just saying what I've heard, Weasley." The blond smirked at Harry, while the boy who lived giggled, covering it with a cough. Hermione levelled a disappointing glare, but bit back a laugh as well. For the rest of the ride, Ron stayed nervously quiet.

Finally, they had arrived. Hagrid led them to a hall where a stern-faced Professor McGonagall stood in front of a pair of large doors. She wore her green, fitted robes and a tight-lipped smile.

"He'e yuh go, Professor McGonagall!" Hagrid said.

She smiled. "Thank you, Hagrid." She surveyed the first years staring at her expectantly. "Welcome to Hogwarts! The start of term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes your own.

"The sorting ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Her eyes swept over the crowd once again, stopping momentarily on Neville Longbottom's cloak (which was fastened incorrectly), on Draco's superior posture (she had expected nothing less), and on Harry's mussed hair (which he subconsciously flattened).

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

The professor slipped through the double doors and vanished.

"How exactly do they sort us?" someone asked.

Ron answered quickly, smirking, "My brothers told me you have to fight a troll."

The trio scoffed, though Hermione and Harry rolled their eyes. Truthfully, the redhead wasn't too far off. Hermione opened her mouth to correct him, but Draco beat her to it.

"That's preposterous! Why would they make a bunch of children fight a dangerous creature? It's obviously only some sort of test or observation to see which house will best fit us."

Harry and Hermione shared a humorous look when Draco said, 'make a bunch of children fight a dangerous creature'.

Ron glared at the young Malfoy. "What do you know _Malfoy_? It's not like you've been sorted before. Why do you even care? We all know where you're going."

Draco ignored him. It was not worth the oxygen to fight the degree of stupidity that was Ronald Weasley. However, Hermione glared at the redhead, opening her mouth to spew the vitriol she had held in all day. Before she could, ghosts shot through the walls, creating mass chaos among the new students.

"Really?" Draco asked, while Hermione comforted a shaking Neville Longbottom, glaring at the Bloody Baron. "You know better than anyone how easily eleven year olds scare. Do the professors know you planned on doing this?"

If it were possible, several of the ghosts would have blushed. They all apologized, and began explaining how they had all gotten excited at the thought of meeting the new firsties. They introduced themselves, and all chatted. After calming all the children, they retreated and Professor McGonagall came out to retrieve them.

They all walked into the Great Hall and most were astonished by the ceiling, which was charmed to look like the sky outside. As they reached the front of the Hall, Professor McGonagall placed a stool down in front of the first years. On top of the stool, was the old, raggedy, Sorting Hat. The Hall was silenced as the Hat started to sing.

" _Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

 _But don't judge on what you see,_

 _I'll eat myself if you can find_

 _A smarter hat than me._

 _You can keep your bowlers black,_

 _Your top hats sleek and tall,_

 _For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

 _And I can cap them all._

 _There's nothing hidden in your head_

 _The Sorting Hat can't see,_

 _So try me on and I will tell you_

 _Where you ought to be._

 _You might belong in Gryffindor,_

 _Where dwell the brave at heart,_

 _Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

 _Set Gryffindors apart;_

 _You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

 _Where they are just and loyal,_

 _Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

 _And unafraid of toil;_

 _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

 _if you've a ready mind,_

 _Where those of wit and learning,_

 _Will always find their kind;_

 _Or perhaps in Slytherin_

 _You'll make your real friends,_

 _Those cunning folks use any means_

 _To achieve their ends._

 _So, put me on! Don't be afraid!_

 _And don't get in a flap!_

 _You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

 _For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

As the hat finished the Hall erupted into applause

"See Weasley? It's only a mere hat," Draco said, chin jutting out and smirk falling in place.

"Sod off, Malfoy" Ron said distastefully, moving toward Harry. Hermione and Draco smirked as Harry scuttled the other direction.

Professor McGonagall rolled out a piece of parchment, clearing her throat.

"Abbott, Hannah." A girl went up and the hat was placed on her head.

"Hufflepuff!" The Hufflepuff table erupted into applause.

It went on, name after name, "Bones, Susan- Hufflepuff; Boot, Terry- Ravenclaw; Brocklehurst, Mandy- Ravenclaw; Brown, Lavender- Gryffindor; Bulstrode, Millicent- Slytherin; Crabbe, Vincent- Slytherin; Finch-Fletchley, Justin- Hufflepuff; Finnegan, Seamus- Slytherin…"

That's not right. Harry side-eyed Hermione, who shrugged. They glanced over at Draco. The blond's brow furrowed, but he shook his head. Now was not the time to contemplate a known half-blood going into Slytherin.

"Granger, Hermione" the professor called. The young girl trudged up the stairs.

Harry furrowed his brow. 'Why should she be nervous? It's just a hat, and she already knows what's about to happen. Is she really this keen on "keeping things the same"?

A minute later the hat announced "Gryffindor!" The house in question erupted in applause. Hermione smiled shyly and sauntered over to the table.

It continued: "Longbottom, Neville- Gryffindor; MacDougal- Slytherin; Malfoy, Draco."

Hearing his name, Draco haughtily strutted up onto the platform and sat on the chair, only barely, expecting to get up right away. The Hat was placed on his head and he awaited its decision.

"Hmm…. interesting. I thought you would be an easy one to sort; you are from the Malfoy line, aren't you?" the Hat asked. Of course he was. Draco _Malfoy_ didn't give him enough of a hint? "Just checking…. you are very different than any Malfoy I've sorted. Time travel? Not new information, but you? Sacrificing your own comfort for the wizarding race? You're more Gryffindor than you could possibly imagine. There is still ambition, sly, cunning, and self-preservation, but I think it will be best for you to be in GRYFFINDOR!"

The whole hall fell silent. Draco couldn't move. Fear paralyzed him. He swallowed convulsively, every part of his body trembling. After a few moments, Professor McGonagall nudged the boy off the chair. Draco, being shoved slightly, stumbled to gain his balance. The blond peered at the professor.

"There has to have been a mistake. I don't belong there. The Hat made a mistake," Draco said, his voice shaking.

"There has been no mistake, please sit down at your respective table," The professor said sternly but gently. Malfoy drug his feet and hung his head in defeat. He sat down and the professor continued on.

"Moon… Nott… Parkinson… Patil… Patil… Perks… Potter, Harry."

Whispers could be heard through the crowd.

"Did she say Potter?"

"As in Harry Potter?"

"The Harry Potter?"

Harry glanced at Draco, who was sitting next to Fred Weasley with his head lying on the table. It perked up upon hearing Harry's name. The blond smiled encouragingly at Harry, but the frown swiftly returned. Harry sat on the stool and the Hat was placed on his head.

"Difficult, another time traveler, I should have known. Hmm… Courage, plenty of that. Great mind, yes, wonderful even. Loads of talent-My, you will be great. Slytherin would do you quite well…." The hat wondered

"Not Slytherin! Not Slytherin!" Harry thought.

"Not Slytherin, you say? Hm, then it will have to be GRYFFINDOR!" the Hat shouted.

The whole Gryffindor table stood up in cheer. Harry jauntily made his way to his house table.

"We've got Potter! We've got Potter!" the Weasley twins chorused, spinning around and doing a jig.

Harry sat beside a very nervous Draco. "Are you all right?"

Draco looked up from his hands, "My father will hear about this!"

"You're really going to call him down here just because you're in Gryffindor?" Harry asked. Maybe Draco hadn't changed.

"No. I mean, Father will be furious."

Harry smiled sympathetically. "It'll be okay"

After the excitement wore off, the Sorting continued. Ron was sorted into Gryffindor just as he had before, much to the consternation of the time travelers. After it was done Dumbledore stood up at the podium and said a few words. The meal commenced and after being starved all summer, Harry loaded up his plate a mile high. Draco, who was very nervous, nibbled, but didn't eat more than a bite or two of food. Harry thought for a bit why Seamus would be in Gryffindor one time and Slytherin the next, but only considered it for a while before going back to feasting. When the feast was done, they followed Percy back to the common room, said goodnight to Hermione, and went up to their dorms. Harry and Draco picked beds right next to each other, while Ron picked the bed directly across from Harry. Harry and Draco talked and decided to concern themselves with the whole Quirrelmort thing later, and went to bed.


	4. Chapter 4

Settling In

Harry, Draco, and Hermione walked down the corridor on their way to Potions class. As they went, Draco thought back to what had happened during this crazy first week. Many things had occurred as they settled in, especially once it was common knowledge that a Malfoy had been sorted into Gryffindor.

~Flashback~

"They're very loud," Hermione said as they made their way down to breakfast. "It's impossible to study in the Gryffindor common room. I always had to go to the library if I wanted to get any studying done."

Harry just shrugged. "I like it. You see lots of people. Everyone's very accepting…" Harry trailed off, scowling at the redheaded nuisance bounding toward the gang.

"Hiya Harry. I didn't see you earlier this morning." Ron smiled. "I got up early because I didn't know when breakfast started…"

Harry sighed. "Hi, Ron. Yeah, we were just heading down to eat," Harry said, pointing to Hermione and Draco. "We had to wait for Draco to finish primping."

Draco scowled and humphed, but remained silent.

Ron wrinkled his nose at Draco. "You mean, this junior death eater? Why would you want to be with him? It's not like you can turn him away from You-Know-Who, Harry. It's a waste of time."

Draco huffed. "Excuse me? Who are you, Weasel, to decide who is and is not worthy of Harry's time? Are you his keeper?"

"No, but I would think Harry wouldn't want to associate himself with the scion of the most loyal follower of You-Know-Who."

Draco opened his mouth, about to make a snide comment, when Harry cut in.

"Ron, thank you for your concern, but I can decide who the right sort are myself," Harry said, frowning. Draco bit his lip to keep from laughing. Ron's smile fell.

"Haha, he got you good, Weasley." Seamus chuckled as he waltzed over to the group.

Harry held out his hand. "Seamus, right?" The boy in question nodded. "I'm Harry Potter."

Seamus stared questioningly at Harry's hand. "I know who you are." He almost looked like he would take Harry's hand when Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson strolled up behind them.

"Hey, Finnegan, you palling around with Potter? I didn't take you for a blood traitor. However, it might make sense, your father being a dumb muggle and all," Blaise said, his nose wrinkled in disgust.

"No," Seamus stuttered. He swallowed. "I was just about to say to him how he got lucky with You-Know-Who. I bet you if _he_ was here today, Harry wouldn't last five seconds."

Harry sighed, his shoulders sagging. He hoped Seamus was still his friend. But then, looking back to fifth year, Seamus had turned on him. Maybe, the Irish boy wasn't a true friend, after all. In the end, this was for the best.

"Finnegan, you wouldn't last one second against him. Perhaps while You-Know-Who is finishing off you, Harry will have a chance to off him again," Draco said, his eyes burning with righteous anger. Wasn't Finnegan Harry's friend last time around? How could ending up in Slytherin change the half-blood that much?

Draco's mouth dropped slightly, realization hitting him with the force of a bludger. It was not fun to be the-boy-who-lived. All his friends seemed to turn on him within seconds. People who might seem friendly quickly retreated at the idea of possibly being on the losing side. If you didn't want to be a part of the war, it was best to stay away from Harry Potter.

How devastating was it, not being able to trust your friends to be by your side? Harry needed him as a friend. Yes, he had already planned to be friends with Harry this time around, but this epiphany made it easier for him to accept the new arrangement.

"Or perhaps your dad will come in and kill Harry while the Dark Lord is finishing off you," Finnegan said, smirking. Blaise and Pansy laughed.

"Ha, good one, Finnegan. Maybe we were wrong about you after all," Pansy said, patting him on the shoulder.

Blaise slapped him on the back. "Yeah, at least we know who the real blood traitors are now." Blaise glared at Draco and Ron. "Daddy won't be very happy when he finds out, will he? His only heir, a bleeding heart Gryffindor."

Draco's eyes widened. Shoot, he knew he forgot something last night. He stepped back.

Hermione stepped forward. "At least he's not afraid to think for himself. Where did you get your ideals from, your mom?"

Blaise's eyes sparked and crackled. "What's that you said, mudblood?"

The world reddened before Draco. Before he knew what was happening, he was on top of Blaise, pounding the snot out of him. Harry and Hermione grabbed Draco as Seamus and Pansy tried to grab Blaise.

"He's not worth it, Draco," Hermione pleaded, desperately hoping the ex-Slytherin would remember some self-preservation. Draco finally jumped off of Blaise and began to take deep breaths.

"Need protecting from you boyfriend, do you?" Seamus sneered at Hermione. He helped Blaise up and Pansy put a gentle hand on his arm.

"Let's get out of here, before the blood traitor tries something else," Pansy said, throwing a glare in their general direction. The three Slytherins left, leaving Ron, Draco, Hermione, and Harry in the corridor. Hermione turned and glared at Ron. He stood there, mouth agape, eyes wide.

"Well, I guess I better go grab my books. See ya later, Harry. Bye," Ron said quickly, not even trying to hide his trembling as he turned and ran away.

Draco, Harry, and Hermione watched him go. Shaking their heads, they started toward the Great Hall. As Draco turned, he caught a glimpse of his godfather, Severus, in the shadows. From the way he gazed at the blonde, Draco knew he had been standing there for quite some time. However, he could not tell from the look in his godfather's eyes if the man was disappointed or proud. He shrugged. As long as he didn't get called in for a detention, he didn't care at this moment. He just tucked that tidbit of information in the back of his mind, planning consider it later.

Draco was thrown from his contemplation by a voice to his side.

"So, Draco, what are you going to tell your father?" Hermione asked.

~Flashback ending~

Draco shivered. It wasn't long before her question was answered, and it was in front of everyone.

~Flashback~

Draco had just sat down at the Gryffindor table to enjoy dinner with Harry and Hermione.

"So, Ron," the bushy haired brunette started, "how is it that you can always make it early to meals, but not to class?" She smiled, "Does Professor McGonagall need to transfigure you into a map instead of a watch?"

Draco laughed, barely avoiding doing something as undignified as snorting pumpkin juice from his nose.

All joy was taken from the moment when the Great Hall doors slammed open. Draco whipped around in time to see his father striding over to the Slytherin table. Draco shrunk under the table. Maybe-just maybe-his father wouldn't find him and leave.

However, his wish for his father to disappear did not come true. After his father's failed attempt at finding him amongst the Slytherins, he scanned the rest of the Great Hall. When their eyes locked, Draco flinched. This was not going to end well. Before Draco had much time strategize a way out of this, he found his father standing over him.

"Draco, come with me, now," his father almost growled. Lucius grabbed his son's arm and squeezed it. Draco flinched again. He looked apologetically at Harry and Hermione before leaving with his father.

To his father's credit, the man did wait until they reached the headmaster's office before he started their conversation.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, you have not contacted your mother and I for three days. We were worried sick about you. Then, when I come down here for answers, I find you not at the Slytherin table, but rather fraternizing with the Gryffindors, palling around with Potter and that mudblood. What is going on?" Lucius demanded. Draco bent his head and stared at the floor, averting his gaze. He mumbled something. His father scowled. "Draco Lucius Malfoy, we taught you better than to mumble. Speak up and explain your current behavior."

"I said, I'm supposed to be at the Gryffindor table." Draco trembled. He peered into his father's eyes.

The man grimaced. "Explain."

Draco squared his shoulders. "I'm not a Slytherin."

"What?"

"I'm not a Slytherin. I was sorted somewhere else."

Lucius turned red. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Where were you sorted?"

"In Gryffindor," Draco whispered.

All time seemed to stop. Draco's heartbeat echoed throughout the corridor, and his breaths became labored. When time restarted, he heard his father's cane before he felt it. Three times the sound of metal hitting flesh echoed throughout the cavernous halls. Draco had to bite his lip to keep trembling, and closed his eyes tightly to stay the tears leaking through.

"How could you? You have shamed the Malfoy family, Draco." Draco licked his lips and kept his gaze rooted firmly to the floor. "We must get you resorted immediately."

"But father, you know that's a myth. No one is allowed to be resorted. Besides…" Draco trailed off. He took a deep breath. "Besides, I don't want to be resorted."

"Excuse me?" Lucius growled. "Do you mean to say you want to be in Gryffindor?"

Draco swallowed hard. "Yeh…Yes, sir. I already made so many friends, and it's where the hat put me. He said he saw great things for me there."

His father glared at him.

"Fine. I won't force you to do something you clearly don't want. It's your choice." Lucius headed for the entrance hall. "Do not expect to come home for Christmas. Your mother and I have a lot of things we would rather do than play host to a blood traitor, Draconis."

Draco swallowed again. He knew he would have to stand up to his father, but he never thought it would hurt this much.

Once his father had left, Draco felt he was no longer hungry. He decided he would rather head back to Gryffindor tower. He had hoped not to run into anyone. He could head up to bed and no one would be the wiser.

However, Draco found he was pleasantly wrong. He thought it would annoy him that Harry and Hermione were already in the common room, but he was never happier to see them.

"Hey, everything okay?" Hermione asked him as he entered the common room.

"Everything's fine," Draco mumbled.

Harry intercepted the blond and forced him over to one of the couches.

"You don't look fine, mate," Harry said, sitting the blond down before he himself took a seat. "What happened?"

"I found out I'm staying over Christmas break."

Hermione sighed. "Did your father find out about your sorting?" Draco nodded, blinking back tears. "He told you not to come home." The boy nodded again.

Harry smiled, bumping his pal with his shoulder. "Well, I'm going to be staying here for Christmas, too. We can hang out. We don't need no stinking stuck-up death eater."

Hermione glared at the dark-haired boy. "Harry! Try and be sensitive!"

Draco smiled. Maybe, just maybe, this whole friend thing could work out for the better.

~Flashback ending~

Draco smiled as he reminisced about the moment he began think of Harry and Hermione as his friends. He could not believe Weasley could ever give that up to betray them to Voldemort. How stupid could he be? Draco shrugged. It was not his problem to deal with. Right now, he would just enjoy another class with his friends.


	5. Chapter 5

The First Potions Class

Butterflies fluttered in Harry's stomach. Was he excited or nervous? Right now, it was impossible to tell.

On the one hand, Harry had better prepared for potions this time. He could answer any question Professor Snape threw at him On the other hand, he remembered the dour man from last time. Memories of the last battle assaulted his mind. Harry's chest tightened as the professor suddenly lay before him, gasping for breath, telling him to look into the older man's eyes. His breath quickened. The memory wouldn't abate. It was as if someone had dropped Harry into a pensieve he couldn't escape from, leaving him the despair and fear constricting his chest as he watched Snape accuse Dumbledore of raising him "like a lamb for the slaughter".

"You okay?" Draco whispered to him as he began to hyperventilate. Harry turned to look at the blond. Draco's eyes sparkled in concern. _Strange,_ Harry thought, _wouldn't have thought Malfoy could care about what happened to me_. Harry nodded, putting on the brave "Boy-Who-Lived" mask that he despised. Draco shook his head disbelievingly.

Harry begged him to believe he was fine. He even went to doodling on his parchment, but he the eyes of the Malfoy heir remained fixed on him, bearing into his soul.

Harry sighed. "I'm fine, Drake." Draco continued his unbelieving stare. Harry scanned the room, which rapidly filled with students. "Fine, I'll tell you after class, 'kay?"

The blond nodded in understanding and turned back to face the front of the class.

Very soon, Snape burst into the classroom. He stalked forward, eyeing every student suspiciously before giving his first year speech. Harry wrote down the basics, trying to make it obvious he was only note-taking. Snape singled him out during roll call, again, and he flinched when the professor called him a "celebrity". However, this time he was ready for the professor's questions, and Draco was already taking note of the questions and answers so he would be ahead when Snape yelled at them.

"Tell me, Potter, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Snape asked. Harry watched Draco write, as did Hermione. However, once Draco wrote down this first question, he jumped to attention. Not about to question the boy when he had to answer his professor, Harry ignored it.

"I think that would be Draught of the Living Death, sir."

"And where would I find a bezoar?"

"Inside the stomach of a goat. It helps stop most poisons," Harry said, a smiling playing on the corners of his lips.

"And what is the difference between monkswood and wolfsbane?" Snape asked.

"There is no difference. They're the same plant, also known as aconite."

Snape huffed and turned to the rest of the class.

"Well, why aren't you writing this down?" Snape asked, angrily. Harry smirked.

Harry and Draco spent the rest of the class brewing a near perfect potion. Of course, Neville and Ron's potion turned out terribly, as all of Neville's potions tended to do. Harry was not surprised when Snape irately turned to him.

"Potter, why didn't you tell Mr. Longbottom to wait until after he took the cauldron off the fire to add the porcupine quills?"

Harry sighed. Why-oh why-did Snape have to act this way? He knew that Snape hated his dad-and with good reason-but when would Snape realize he was not James Potter?

"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't watch both my potion and theirs. I was certain Ron was more than competent enough to help his partner brew a successful potion."

Snape huffed. "Ten points from Gryffindor, for your cheek."

Harry sighed. _I won't let him get to me this time. I won't let him get to me this time_ he repeated in his head. If he never gave Professor Snape the ammunition, he might be able to have a semi-peaceful relationship with the man. It was crucial to the war effort and survival.

As soon as class ended and he turned his potion in, Harry walked out of the classroom. Immediately, Draco latched onto his arm and dragged him up to the seventh floor. They stopped in front of the _Barnabas the Barmy_ painting. Draco paced in front of it three times and a door appeared. By this point, Hermione had caught up with them, huffing and bending over to catch her breath. Draco pulled open the door and quickly pulled his two friends in, shutting the door behind them.

"Mind telling me what that was about?" Harry panted, leaning over his knees in order to take big breaths of air. Draco's eyes widened as he searched in his backpack for a piece of parchment.

"Harry, do you know much about flowers?" Draco asked frantically.

Harry's brow furrowed. "Like planting them…?" He knew a lot about planting flowers. He had to keep the gardens managed back at home.

"No, like their symbolism. Do you know what they mean?" Draco asked, huffing. Hermione, now intrigued, peeked over Draco's shoulder to read the parchment he held in his hand. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

"What? What's wrong?" Harry asked, his pulse racing. Had something really bad happened already? What had he missed?

"Harry, what was the first question Professor Snape asked you?" Draco asked him.

"You were there," Harry said, his right eyebrow quirked.

"Tell it back to me. Slowly."

Harry sighed. "Fine. What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel…"

"Asphodel," Draco interrupted, "is a type of lily that means 'my regrets follow you to the grave.'"

"Okay, is that it?"

"No, finish it."

"With an infusion of wormwood…" Harry shrugged. "Like I would know as a first year how to make Draught of the Living Death."

"Wormwood means absence and typically bitter sorrow." Harry stared at Draco, confused. The blond rolled his eyes. "Put it together. A lily that shows regret that follows to the grave, and bitter sorrow."

Harry still stared, confusion clear on his face.

"Harry," Hermione sighed, "Professor Snape-loosely translated-said 'I bitterly regret Lily's death'."

Harry paled, eyes widening. "What?"

"When I was writing down his question, it caught my attention. No first year would know the answer. So, I looked closer at it. Uncle Sev taught me what flowers symbolized. That's what got me thinking there was something more going on, and there was," Draco said as he reread his notes.

"Harry, Professor Snape can't possibly let anyone know he's a good guy. He wouldn't be a good spy if people figured out he loved your mother." Hermione shrugged. "Yet, he still wanted to communicate how awful he felt about her death. He thought you would know this! Maybe that's why he was so tough with you after that! He thought you got this message and chose to ignore it."

"Or, he hated me because I was the constant reminder that my mom chose James Potter over him," Harry added nonchalantly.

Draco gazed over at his new best friend and sighed.

"That's probably it, too, but at least give him a chance, Harry. I know my Uncle Sev. If he knew about your uncle's 'frustration'…"

Harry cut him off. "We will never speak to him about my uncle's frustration. Understood?"

Draco nodded.

"So, what were you thinking about before class started?" Draco asked randomly, eyeing the dark-haired boy suspiciously.

Harry shrugged. "I just had a flashback. Something happens, and suddenly, I'm back on the battlefield. It's nothing. I'll be fine."

Hermione, however, worried her bottom lip.

"I don't think that you're fine, Harry. In the muggle world, that's called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and it's serious."

"I'll be fine. I'll get over it," Harry replied, his voice rising.

"I think we should talk about it. What was it that set you off?" Hermione asked, not giving up.

Harry rolled his eyes.

"I was just thinking about the first potions class. Then, I thought about Professor Snape. Soon, I was watching him struggle for breath and looking into his eyes like he pleaded me to do."

Again, he was thrown back into that moment. He could feel his heart beating at an insane rate.

"Harry? Harry!" Hermione cried out, shaking the boy gently. He shook his head and looked around. He was back in the Room of Requirement with a scared Hermione and a concerned Draco. _Again, he's concerned? I guess that's what a true friend does. Look at Hermione_ Harry stared into the girl's eyes. They shone with tears unshed as she launched herself into his arms. "Oh, Harry! It happened again, didn't it? You went back?"

Harry sighed and nodded. Hermione took a few shaky breaths. She finally retracted from the hug so she could look into Harry's emerald eyes.

"Harry, it's nothing to be ashamed of. I found myself going back, too. When I'd see my parents, all I could think about what _Obliviating_ them. Just looking at Draco, sometimes I'm drawn back to Malfoy Manor." Hermione looked down at her arm, rubbing it gently. "It happens, during wars. We saw so much loss. So many people died. We're not going to let that happen this time."

"Harry, I even have flashbacks. Sometimes, I remember the time you tried to kill me. I can feel the cold seep through my whole body." Harry glared and Draco threw up his hands in surrender. "I'm not blaming you. I would have done the same thing, too. I'm just saying, all three of us went through things no kid should have to go through."

"But we came back. We're better, stronger. We knew this wasn't going to be easy, but we made it this far. We're friends, like we should have been all along." Hermione reminded them. She put her hand out in front of her, palm down and looked expectantly at the two boys with her.

Harry placed his hand on top of hers. "Friends until the end."

Draco looked consideringly at the two in front of him. He sighed, as if he had made a hard decision. He placed his hand on top of the pile. "Friends no matter what. Friends before parents, guardians, or godfathers." Draco smirked as he finished his little spiel, looking knowingly at Harry.

The-boy-who-lived grimaced. "Did he really have to be your godfather?" Draco laughed and shrugged. The three of them looked at their pile of hands and Harry decided. "Friends forever on three." The two others nodded in agreement.

"One, two, three. Friends forever." The three shouted as the lifted their hands from the pile. They jumped up, grabbed their belongings, and headed to Gryffindor tower, feeling considerably lighter than they had when they entered.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: All Characters Belong to JK Rowling and the _Harry Potter_ series

Flying Lessons

It was a sunny Thursday morning. Harry, Hermione, and Draco trudged down to breakfast. As they sat down at the Gryffindor table, the mail owls swooped in. A barn owl flew down to Neville and dropped a package in front of him. He eagerly opened it up, and gushed over the trinket. Draco rolled his eyes, but said nothing.

"It's a Remembrall," Neville explained, turning it over in his hands. "Gran knows I forget things. It tells you…"

Draco sighed. "We know what it does, Longbottom."

Hermione glared at him. He shrugged, half-apologetically.

At that moment, Finnegan and Zabini stalked up to the Gryffindor table.

"What you got there, Longbottom?" Finnegan asked, a smirk playing on his face.

Zabini snatched the trinket, causing Neville to flinch. "Hmm, a Remembrall. Forgotten something, have we?" The Slytherin tossed the ball to Finnegan.

"Hey, that's mine!" Neville said, his voice trembling. He tried to grab it back from the boys, but they held it high up in the air.

Draco turned to Hermione and Harry and whispered, "Was I really that important?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, but nodded.

"What is going on here?" A silky voice asked. The trio turned to find their potions master standing in front of them, looking between his boisterous Slytherins and the helpless Neville.

"Finnegan and Zabini took Longbottom's present from his grandmother, Professor Snape," Draco whined. His beloved godfather would come to his aid, of course.

Snape turned to his Slytherins.

"You should probably return that back to Mr. Longbottom before Professor McGonagall is called over. You do not want to be in her crosshairs."

Draco smiled widely, his eyes sparkling. Professor Snape sneered at the boy, causing the blond's face to droop, before he strode back to the High Table, not looking back at his godson. Finnegan and Zabini gave the trinket back and left.

"That was strange," Harry said, brow furrowed.

Draco smirked, momentarily forgetting the harsh actions of his godfather. He turned back to his food.

"I'm important," Draco said, chest puffed out.

Harry and Hermione rolled their eyes and returned to their meal.

Later that afternoon, all the Gryffindors hurried down to their first flying lesson. Harry was excited. He had missed flying so much the past year.

When they arrived, the Slytherins were waiting with Madame Hooch.

"Everyone stand by a broomstick," Madame Hooch commanded.

While she waited for everyone to follow her instructions, Ron turned to Harry.

"I'm the best flyer ever, Harry. Just watch. I can show you all the tricks."

Harry had to roll his eyes. Draco snickered in the background.

Madame Hooch instructed them to yell "up" towards their brooms. Harry and Draco watched as Ron struggled to budge the broom. Finally, when they had their fun, they both shrugged and yelled "Up" to their brooms. Both complied immediately.

Ron looked at both of them with awe. "This broom is stubborn," he said, glaring at the ground.

Draco rolled his eyes. Sure, he mouthed to Harry, who turned away, trying not to fall on the floor laughing.

At last, all the brooms were in the hands of their owners. Madame Hooch took this time to give the next instruction.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, kick off from the ground hard. One…two…"

Before she got to three, Neville pushed off the ground. As he did before, he ended up crashing and breaking his wrist.

Madame Hooch ran toward the young Gryffindor. "None of you move while I take this boy to the hospital wing. You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch'. Come on, dear."

Finnegan burst out laughing as soon as they were out of earshot. "What an oaf."

Zabini nodded in agreement.

Finnegan strutted over and picked up a small shiny sphere. "Look, he dropped his Remembrall. We should keep it safe for him. I'll go find a nice tree for it to rest in to keep it from harm." Finnegan jumped on his broomstick and took off.

"Hey! Give that back." Harry jumped on his broom and went after them.

Draco turned to Hermione. The fear in her eyes was palpable. Without a second thought, Draco jumped on his broom and took off into the sky.

"Harry, we're going to get in trouble."

Harry quirked a brow, smirking.

"Then why are you up here?" Harry asked.

Draco rolled his eyes and turned to Finnegan. "Give it back, jerk."

Finnegan smirked. "You know what? I'm feeling nice today. Here." Finnegan dropped the Remembrall.

Harry dove after it, nearly smacking into the castle wall. Before he could make contact, he grabbed the Remembrall and turned out of his dive.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Finnegan whined. He changed course and began flying at great speed toward Harry.

Harry thought quickly. "Here, Draco, catch!"

He threw the ball and Draco caught it with ease. Finnegan changed course again and flew toward Draco. Draco caught Harry's eye and threw it back.

At that exact moment, they heard a shrill voice call out, "Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, get down here right this instant." Professor McGonagall stalked over. Harry and Draco reddened, staring at the ground. "Never in all my time at Hogwarts...how dare you? You might have broken your necks."

A young girl ran up beside them. "It wasn't their fault, Professor.".

"Be quiet, Miss Patil. You two, follow me." Professor McGonagall commanded. Both boys bowed their heads sheepishly and followed the Professor's lead.

"I can't believe you two," Hermione said, arms crossed.

They were now relaxing by the fire in the Gryffindor common room. Hermione was huffing and whining, frustrated with the injustice of the current administration. Instead of getting punished, like they deserved, the boys had _both_ gotten onto the Gryffindor Quidditch team: Harry as a Seeker, and Draco as a Chaser.

Draco shrugged. "We did what we had to do to help Longbottom."

Hermione threw her hands in the air. "What I can't believe even more is that Professor McGonagall rewarded you yet again!"

Harry smiled. "Come on, Mione. We both know _I_ needed to be on the Quidditch team, especially this year." Harry tilted his head. "And next year, as well." He turned to Draco. "Is your delusional house elf going to try and kill me again?"

Draco furrowed his brow, mouth dropping. "What?"

Hermione sighed, returning to her book. "Dobby. He tried to kill Harry second year."

"Well, technically, he only wanted to maim me." Harry rolled his eyes. "I ended up freeing him. Your dad's a downright git."

Draco's eyes widened. "Wait, that explains why we were down one house elf that summer." He paused, looking up at the ceiling. "Wait, was that the house elf that saved you seventh year?"

Hermione slammed her book shut, glaring at the blond. "Don't you know your own house elves?"

"There's so many of them. They're just like a big crowd of little old people with bat ears and big eyes."

Hermione jumped from her seat and stomped away. Harry sighed and put his head in his hands.

"Great, SPEW again."

Draco stared at him for a moment. "Wasn't that what Granger was going on about fourth year?"

Harry put up a hand. "Don't…Start…"

Several days later, a suspiciously broom-shaped package dropped down in front of Harry. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Seriously, Professor McGonagall has no self-control when it comes to Quidditch, does she?"

Harry smirked, rising and heading toward the hall. "Nope." The other two followed.

"It's not right. She shows disgusting amounts of favoritism toward you." Hermione furrowed her brow. "In fact, she favors the entire Quidditch team to the point of it almost being unethical."

Draco shrugged. "Maybe she'll get me one, too."

Harry scoffed. "No one would buy a broom for a Malfoy. You already have one."

"Well, I can't write father or mother to get it for me."

Harry smirked. "You could always call Dobby to do it."

Hermione huffed, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Do you think he can apparate through the Hogwarts wards?" Draco asked.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh, I _know_ he can."

Hermione snickered.

"Dobby," Draco called.

They all scanned the room, waiting to hear the pop of elf apparation.

"Maybe he's busy," Harry said after a few moments.

"No, he should always come when his master calls." Draco huffed. "Dobby."

This time, Dobby appeared, eyes wide in shock. He shook his head and scanned the room before finding a table he could use to beat himself.

Draco crossed his arms, brows furrowed. Harry stared at the floor, choosing to remain silent.

Hermione scowled. "Aren't you going to do anything to stop him?"

The two boys averted their eyes, both suddenly very interested in the ceiling. She huffed, stomping away.

Draco shrugged. "Why would I stop him? He was bad. He should have punished himself."

Harry's eyes widened. "Don't say that in front of Hermione. Ever."

Draco nodded, comprehension dawning.

"What does young master want?" Dobby asked Draco, finally putting down the blunt force object.

"Could you get my broom for me, please?" Draco asked, bending down a bit to look the elf in the eye.

Dobby stared at him, eyes wide. "Of course, young master. Dobby is doing anything young master wants when he says please." He snapped his fingers and disappeared.

"What a strange elf," Draco said, shaking his head. Harry eyed him, eyebrow quirked. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing." Harry said nonchalantly.

Right then, Finnegan sauntered over, Zabini, Crabbe, and Goyle in tow. The boys sneered at the Gryffindor duo.

"So, when are they going to have you out of Hogwarts? Did you pack your things already?" Finnegan asked, smirking.

Zabini snorted, nodding. "Yeah. Daddy and Mummy Dear will have even less of a reason to be pleased with the Scion Malfoy. Getting into Gryffindor will be nothing like getting expelled within the first month."

Draco smiled cheekily. "Actually, we both made it onto the Gryffindor Quidditch team thanks to you. Harry's a Seeker, and I'm a Chaser."

Harry glanced over at his friend. "In fact, we might have to thank the two of you. Couldn't have made the team if McGonagall hadn't seen us flying after the two of you."

Finnegan scowled. "Well, you might be good in the air, but you'll never make it on the ground." He glanced at Zabini. The boy nodded. "I challenge you to a wizarding duel. Twelve o'clock in the trophy room."

Draco sighed. The first time around, he had been the one to challenge Harry. Zabini suggested he leave the golden boy out to dry, never showing and instead informing Filch of the brats out of bed. The excitement then of getting Harry into trouble more than made up for the fact he looked weak by not appearing for the duel. He shouldn't do this again, but it was something he could not pass up-seeing the faces of the Slytherins when they accepted.

"We'll be there." Draco nodded. "I'm Harry's second. Who's yours?"

Finnegan glanced behind him. "Goyle," he said, pointing to the fat boy behind him. He turned back to the Gryffindors. "See you at midnight."

With that, the Slytherins spun on their heels and left.

"Great. Another best mate accepting things for me." Harry mumbled under his breath.

"Accepting what for you?" Hermione asked, materializing beside them. Harry and Draco eyed each other.

"A wizarding duel," Draco said, shrugging.

Hermione's eyes narrowed. She shook her head. "No."

Harry's mouth dropped, brow furrowed. "Why not?"

"First of all," Hermione said, raising a finger, "it's a trap to get you in trouble. Second of all, it was set up from fate so we could find Fluffy. Third of all, it's not necessary to this timeline. We don't need to go."

Draco sighed. "She's right, as always."

Harry shook his head. "But, won't it look weak if we don't show up? Or won't they figure out we realized it was a trick and end up getting us back?"

"Better that than our getting into trouble with Filch."

"Fine," Harry said, shoulders sagging. Suddenly, his face brightened. "But can we set them up for something, right?"

Draco clapped him on the shoulder. "Harry, mate, you really think I wouldn't find some way to get them back? I'm the king of revenge."

Hermione sighed, frowning. "Why do I get the feeling we're going to end up dead? Or worse, expelled?"


	7. Chapter 7

Harry Meets with Snape  
Harry gulped, pacing the hallway. He puffed out his chest. He could do this.

He sighed, shaking his head. Come on, Harry. You can do this! He thought to himself. It's not that hard. Right foot down, left foot down, just like that.

This was not working. He turned to go back to Gryffindor common room, but stopped. He could do this. He could walk down the stairs, turn the corner, walk down the corridor, and knock on the office door of one Professor Professor Snape Snape.  
It was childish, truly, being afraid of a man who saved his life more times than he could count. This whole situation was childish. He shouldn't have to fear the reaction of one of his professor. Sure, Professor Snape despised him. Wait, no, he wasn't really despised. Snape only hated who he thought Harry was. The-boy-who-lived was not going to give his professor any reason to think of Harry as a miniature James.  
Harry sighed again as he turned the corner and stalked down the corridor. He could do this. He could talk to Snape. It wasn't like he was going to taunt the man. No, he was going to talk about the professor's favorite subject…He was going to make this work.  
Harry steadied himself in front of Professor Snape's door. He took a deep breath and held it as he raised his hand to knock. He tapped lightly several times. He dropped his hand. He waited. And waited, and waited. He was about to give up and go back to his dorm, when the door opened.  
If Harry had not been so scared, he might have thought the scene comical, especially considering the look his professor gave him. Harry never knew Snape could be surprised. Yet, undeniable proof stood in front of him that said otherwise.  
"Potter, what are you doing down in the dungeons? Shouldn't you be celebrating your little stunt you pulled during flying lessons?" Snape sneered.

Harry breathed deeply. "No, sir. I was just wondering if I could talk to you for a minute."  
"Well, I'm busy. I will always be busy. I will not make time for students as arrogant as you." The Professor began closing the door.  
"Sir, I mean no disrespect. I…I just heard that you knew my mum." Harry looked up hopefully at the older man. Snape quirked a brow and Harry smiled. He'd hooked the older man.  
"Your point?" Snape asked warily.

Harry swallowed. "I was wondering if you could tell me something about her."

Professor Snape scanned the corridor, checking to ensure it was empty. Then, he opened the door wider and ushered Harry in.  
"Well, Potter, what is it you want to know? I hardly think that your guardians would neglect telling you about her," Snape said as he sat down at his desk.  
"Aunt Petunia doesn't talk about my mum a lot, except to call her a freak."

Professor Snape quirked his brow. "Your aunt won't tell you? Then go to your grandparents, the Evans. They adored Lily and would love to tell you all about her."

Harry's eyes widened. "You know my grandparents?" Snape's brow furrowed. "Can you tell me about them?"  
"Yes, I assumed that's how you heard I knew your mother."  
"Actually, I asked Aunt Petunia-once Hagrid told me about the wizarding world-if Mum had any friends. She only knew of you," Harry said meekly.  
"Don't you talk to your grandparents at all? Or do you not listen? To not know about the wizarding world? That's preposterous! I know Rose and Harold would never keep such a secret from you. They were too proud of Lily's gift. Surely, they would have told you had you only asked." Professor Snape grumbled. The arrogance of the boy, to not even talk to his family.  
"Actually, I never knew my grandparents, sir. They died a month before I was born," Harry said, eyes downcast.

Whatever Professor Snape was about to say stuck in his throat. He opened his mouth, and closed it again. He opened his mouth, then closed it once more.  
"My condolences. I-I never knew."  
"It's okay, sir. I know you must be busy, you do so much for us here at Hogwarts." Harry bit his lip. He wanted to burst at the man, scream about how it was unfair that he had these assumptions about Harry. Did he really believe Harry wouldn't hang on to every single connection to his parents if he could? However, it wasn't Snapes fault. He never knew all that Harry lost, the little Harry had to cling to.

In fact, Harry was really angry at Dumbledore. No wonder Professor Snape had thought he was spoiled and arrogant. He thought Harry had been raised by his grandparents, or at least had known them. Obviously, Harry would have had a better life if the Evans had lived.

Harry bit his lip so hard he tasted blood. Dumbledore hadn't just manipulated his life. He had manipulated Professor Snape's, too. Now, Harry's promise to respect the potions master meant so much more. The man had simply not known.  
"What would you like to know, Mr. Potter?" Professor Snape asked the boy, softly.  
"What did she like to do in her spare time? What was her favorite class here? What, just what was she like?" Harry breathed. He finally, finally, might get some answers, and he couldn't believe it. He feared the chance would disappear if he uttered a single breath more.  
"She…she liked to draw and read. Lily always had her nose in a book. Her favorite class was Charms; she and Flitwick were close. I'm sure he can also give you some decent stories about her. She was genial and loyal. She stood up for her friends and hated bullies…" Snape hesitated. Harry could tell Snape was fighting back to urge to say something along the lines of "like your father". He had to smile at the professor's effort. An awkward silence fell in the room.  
"What about my grandparents? Can you tell me something about them, too?" Harry pleaded.  
Professor Snape gaped. "You mean, Petunia never even mentioned them?"

Harry struggled not to giggle. He had never seen the unflappable Professor Snape Snape wearing his heart on his sleeve like this. He must have destroyed some preconceived ideas Professor Snape once held.  
"No, sir, she didn't. I don't know why. I mean, they were Dudley's grandparents, too. Yet, I don't think he even realizes they existed."  
Professor Snape smirked. "Well, your grandmother, Rose, was just like your mother. She had long red hair and was active. She loved life and was very genial. She loved to bake, and most times, when I came over, I left with a container filled with sweets to take home to my family. She was a housewife, but no one would say she didn't work hard. She kept her house clean and her flowerbeds were pristine."

He watched Harry's eyes shine and a smile played on the corners of his lips. Professor Snape almost found himself enjoying talking to the little brat.  
"What about my grandfather?" Harry asked, sitting on the edge of his seat.  
"Harold Evans, your namesake? He had the same green eyes you inherited, and his hair was short and brown. He worked at a white-collar job somewhere in business in London. He was a real family man, but he had a special spot for Lily. He was very proud of her. He couldn't believe it when Professor McGonagall came to them and told Lily of her gift. He kept trying to figure out a way around the statute of secrecy so he could tell his golfing friends all about how his Lily was so special she got to go to a magic school. Instead, he told them she was a genius going to a special school made particularly for her, which wasn't too far off. He always told her she could do anything she set her mind to." Professor Snape stopped abruptly and peered down at the young boy. He seemed to be living vicariously through the descriptions his professor was giving him.  
Professor Snape had to wonder: what was Albus thinking? Sending the boy to live with Petunia? That was like sending a lamb to the butcher's. The potions master could only scoff. Why should he care? He stared into the boy's eyes, so full of hope and gleaming with happiness. Yes, Professor Snape knew he would have to keep an eye on Harry, if only for his vow, if not for Lily's memory.  
Harry smiled and peeked at his watch. "Thank you so much, Professor Snape! I'm sorry for taking up your time. I greatly appreciate hearing about my mum and grandparents. I know it must be hard. I lost a mother, but you lost a friend." Harry got up from his seat. He waved. "Goodbye, Professor Snape! See you in potions class!"  
Harry walked through the door into the corridor, feeling ten times lighter. That conversation wasn't so hard! What had he been afraid of?


	8. Chapter 8

Halloween

Harry yawned, rubbing his eyes again. Why did breakfast have to be so bloody early in the morning? And it wasn't like it was easier for any of his dorm mates. Harry peered over at Draco, whose head currently resided in his bowl of porridge.

Hermione flopped down across from them.

"Good morning," she said, scooping out some eggs. She paused, hand hovering over her plate, as she glanced over at the two boys in front of her. "You two look awful."

Draco's head rose, glaring at the young girl. "Someone couldn't sleep last night."

Harry scowled. "Well excuse me for thinking someone was about to cast Avada Kedavra."

"Everyone was asleep, scarhead. And no first year is going to know how to cast an Unforgivable."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Nightmare?" Both boys nodded. "Ferret, you should know by now that Harry gets those constantly. You would, too, if you'd have been through half of what he has."

Harry crossed his arms. "Hey, now. I think I get on fairly well."

"So, it's reasonable to think one of your roommates was about to kill you?" Hermione asked. Harry glared, choosing to dig into his eggs rather than respond. She turned back to Draco. "So, you get what I'm saying about his nightmares?"

Draco sighed. "Yeah, yeah. I guess I understand." He smirked. "I know what'll cheer you up, scarhead. We need to figure out a way to get back at Zabini and Finnegan. We haven't as of yet."

"I was thinking…"

"Which is why smoke's been billowing out of your ears?" Hermione asked, not looking up from the essay she was editing.

Draco scowled. "Huh?"

"Nothing. What were you thinking, oh mighty planner of pranks?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Red and gold hair."

Hermione's head bopped up. "Come again?"

"Hair changing potion."

"It'd need to be aerosolized. No way they'll let you near them with a potion in your hand."

"I know," Harry said, shrugging. He turned to Draco. "You happen to know a good formula?"

Draco's eyes glinted mischievously. "After thirteen years of potions lessons with Uncle Sev? You better bet."

Hermione shook her head. "Just leave me out of this."

The boys shrugged, pulling out parchments to use for strategizing.

The rest of the week at Hogwarts flew by as the boys spent copious amounts of time planning and prepping. Hermione nagged them once or twice about homework, but having done this all before, they all agreed it was a breeze and took no time at all. Even with the added prank preparation, Harry had more time for seeker practice and personal defense studies. Life couldn't get better.

But the good mood vanished as Halloween came around. Harry sulked down to the Great Hall as everyone started serving dinner.

"Why the long face, scarhead?" Draco asked, serving his friend a healthy spoonful of mashed potatoes.

"You know, I didn't even really know when they died until I saw their gravestones," Harry said, staring out into space.

Draco furrowed his brow. "Who?"

"My parents." Harry shook his head. "Every year I always celebrated Halloween with so much cheer, not knowing just a decade before, I lost my parents."

"Perhaps it was for the best, seeing as you were always happy on Halloween," Hermione said, patting her friend on the shoulder. "Remember third year when you spent the afternoon with Professor Lupin? You were an emotional wreck after."

"Yeah, I suppose it was his way of making sure I wasn't alone. Though he wasn't aware of that I had no clue about their death day." Harry grumbled.

Draco sat there quietly, shaking his head. "Idiot muggles."

Harry glanced over at his friend. "What was that?"

"Nothing," the blond said innocently, his eyes sparkling. "I was just saying that tomorrow our potion should be ready."

Hermione sighed. "You two are actually going through with this?" Both boys nodded, shoveling food into their mouths. "Well, I want no part of it. If anyone asks, I told you two to knock it off."

With that, she got up and headed toward the library, hoping to find another book on tracing charms.

The next day, everything was set. The golden trio sat down at breakfast, all facing the Slytherin table. They waited expectantly, and their efforts were rewarded when two scowling Slytherins in red-and-gold striped hair stomped down to the end of their table to sit among the first years, the crowd of student laughter trailing them.

Harry and Draco high-fived, while Hermione hid a smirk behind her hand.

She sighed. "Well we should head off for charms, we wouldn't want to be late." She pulled her friends up and pushed them toward the door. "If I remember from last time we're practicing _Wingardium Leviosa_ again and this is the perfect time to gain back the points we always loose from potions." Hermione shook her head. "I know Neville doesn't try it but he really needs to be more careful, especially around Professor Snape."

"I never knew you worried so much about house points before, Granger, " Draco said, smirking.

"I do! And don't call me Granger," Hermione said quickly. "I'm just thinking ahead; if we don't get involved with Norbert again, we actually have a chance at winning the cup without cheating."

They arrived and sat in their seats, only to find an energetic Ron running up to them.

"Aw, man, did you see it?" the redhead asked, panting as he bent over. "Zabini and Finnegan were brilliant! I should go and ask them how they did their hair." He smiled. "I'd like to style it that way for the first Gryffindor match."

"You do realize it was a prank, right Weasley?" Draco asked, pulling out his charms book.

Ron scrunched his nose. "Who asked you, Malfoy?" He turned to Harry. "I know it was a prank, and I heard you were behind it. I personally think it was brilliant."

Draco scowled. "How did you find out we were behind it?"

"There're rumors," Weasley said, shrugging. Draco rolled his eyes, but remained silent.

"Well, thanks Ron. I appreciate the praise," Harry glanced over at the podium, "but it looks like we're going to start class soon, and I'd hate to miss important instructions."

"I agree, Harry," Ron said, sitting down next to Hermione. The young girl sighed, giving a long-suffering scowl at Harry. The poor boy shrugged and turned to his parchment.

 _Just don't bother with him_. Harry passed the note over to Hermione, who scowled deeper before tearing up the offending paper.

Class started and within minutes, Hermione was completely ignoring Harry's instructions. "Stop right there, Weasley, that's not how you say, you are going to poke someone's eye out. It Win-gar-dium Leviosa, you have to make the 'gar' long."

Ron threw down his wand. "If you know everything then why don't you do it!"

Draco and Hermione caught each other's eye and smiled knowingly. The trio grabbed their wands and pointed them at their respective feathers. They all performed it perfectly.

"Oh! Well done Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, and Miss Granger. 15 points to Gryffindor," Professor Flitwick said before turning to help Finnegan, whose feather had just exploded.

Everyone could see Weasley was in a bad mood after that. As they were walking back to Gryffindor tower, Ron was talking to Neville Longbottom and Dean Thomas, and the trio overheard a bit of conversation.

"She's such an insufferable know-it-all! She'll always be alone for that. I bet Harry and Malfoy only are around her for pity. She's a disaster honestly. If she wasn't Harry and Malfoy's charity work, she wouldn't have any friends at all."

Hermione listened and willed the tears not to come. They were walking past the second floor girls bathroom and she excused herself, ducking in. She tried not to let it get to her this time but it didn't work.

As she left, Draco stopped and turned to Harry. "She looked up set, should we go after her?"

Harry shook his head. "Probably not, I mean in times like these she just likes to be alone. Trust me-I learned from experience-she wants to be alone." He shrugged. "Though I don't really understand why that upset her so much. Ron's evil, why would she care what he thinks."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Perhaps because she used to love him." Harry's head tilted to the side, his brow furrowed. "I'm just saying: although I've always hated the weasel, doesn't mean you two always have. I'm surprised you wouldn't be more offended." The blond sighed. "I say if she doesn't come around by dinner, we go look for her."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Sounds decent. We'll give her some time to cry, then we can deal with it." The sound of grumbling filled the air. "On that note, I'm hungry. Let's eat."

"Oi, Harry," Justin Finch-Fletchley waved his hand. "Is it true you're behind the ever-changing hair prank?" Harry and Draco smiled, nodding. "It was awesome, mate."

"Yeah," Hannah Abbott said, waltzing over to where the duo sat. "You have to teach me how to do that."

Shortly, they were surrounded by adoring fans, all wondering how they could have possibly pulled such a magnificent feat. The boys basked in the glory, suddenly not concerned for the lack of their friend.

Finally, dinner rolled around, and the great feast was about to begin. As they walked in, they stopped in awe of the decorations. The two boys had forgotten how amazing Halloween was at Hogwarts. Harry smiled towards Draco and they rushed to sit down and dive in.

Suddenly, Quirrell rushed in, dropping in a dead feint.

"Uh-oh," Harry said, slamming his face with his palm.

"What oh? What is going on?" Draco asked, scowling.

"Hermione!"

"Hermione what?" Draco shrugged. "She's probably at Gryffindor tower studying something or other by now."

"No she isn't." Harry rose from the table.

"How do you know?"

Harry ran toward the second floor. "Because this is exactly what happened last time. That's why Ron and I ended up fighting the troll."

"You mean, you did not go looking for it?" Draco asked, brow furrowed.

"Of course not. We weren't idiots," Harry said, stopping suddenly in front of the bathroom door. Draco opened his mouth. "Shut up. We never really went looking for danger purposefully, and anyway, we don't have time for this. Hermione's in trouble."

Before Draco could respond, a giant troll meandered its way through the halls. It sniffed, and then walked into the first room it found. The boys looked at one another and Harry nodded. Both boys ran into the restroom right as they heard a scream come from Hermione.

"She knew this was going to happen," Harry said, sighing. "You'd think she wouldn't be surprised."

There, huddled in one of the stalls, sat Hermione, fumbling for her wand. Harry shook his head and jumped on the troll's back, trying to take it down Fight Club style. Draco, thinking quickly, used the spell they had "learned" earlier that day. He levitated the troll's club and knocked it out. Harry slid off the troll's back just as the professors arrived. For the first time, Harry saw the pleased glimmer in Dumbledore's eyes.

"What were you children thinking?" Snape asked, glaring. "Of all the insane things…"

"Professor Snape, I believe these are my charges," Professor McGonagall said, crossing her arms. She turned back to the children. "What were you children thinking? Of all the insane things you could have thought up to do on this night, you chose to fight a troll?"

"We didn't choose to fight it," Draco said, stepping forward. "Weasley said something stupid that upset Hermione and she needed some time to be alone. She chose this room. It just so happened that her solitude was interrupted by the troll. Harry and I remembered that Hermione had come in here, and so we came to warn her about the danger and get her back to safety. We _thought_ the troll was where it had been sighted and therefore we could make a quick escape back to Gryffindor tower. We were wrong. The implications of this statement can be considered later." Draco pointedly looked at Quirrell. "The point of the matter is we only came here to get Hermione to safety, not to fight a troll."

Harry smirked. Draco would make a great defense lawyer. He beamed with pride at his best friend. The blond winked at him.

"Well, if that is the case, I award you twenty points to Gryffindor for sheer dumb luck," Professor McGonagall said, brow furrowed. "Though I must impress upon you the severity of your actions. You could have been killed."

"Duly noted," Draco said, nodding.

Harry quirked his brow. When had they assigned Draco as their spokesperson? And why had they never thought to have a spokesperson before? This was great!

"I now think it is time for three young Gryffindors to go to their common room," Dumbledore said, his eyes never losing their eager twinkle. The other professors nodded. All three students sighed and began to file out.

"Of all the things you could have done, you jumped on his back?" Draco swatted his best friend upside the head. "You do realize you're a wizard, right? You have a wand. Use it."

Harry opened his mouth to retort, but was interrupted by a not so subtle clearing of the throat.

"Mr. Malfoy, a moment please," Professor Snape said, brow furrowed.

Harry and Hermione both smiled weakly at Draco before they turned to continue toward the tower. Draco could hear Hermione berating Harry for not letting her handle the troll. Draco smirked, rolling his eyes before facing his godfather.

Professor Snape led him to an abandoned classroom and let him in. "Mr. Malfoy…"

"Oh, is that still my name?" Draco asked, glaring. "I thought father would have disowned me by now." Professor Snape sneered at Draco. "Sorry, Uncle Sev."

"Draco, what were you thinking? You could have gotten yourself killed," Severus said, arms crossed, brow furrowed in concern.

"An early Christmas present for Mother and Father," Draco mumbled.

Professor Snape sighed, and his face softened. He bent down a bit to look into his godson's eyes.

"Draco," Professor Snape said, grabbing both of the boy's shoulders, "I know this is difficult. This is a hard time for you. I need you to know that I do not agree with your father's sentiments. The hat clearly wanted you in Gryffindor, so that is where you belong. I do not hold that against you. However, just because you are in Gryffindor does not mean you must lose the Slytherin traits I know you have. It also does not mean you have to place yourself in mortal peril. Try and be more careful."

Draco averted his gaze. "Of course, Uncle Sev. I'm sorry. I was just worried about my friend. She was in danger. I needed to help her."

Professor Snape nodded. "And how could you have done that without placing yourself in danger?"

Draco tilted his head.

"I could have gone to a prefect or staff member and told them of a missing student," Draco said, furrowing his brow. "Then, I could have gone safely to my common room and let them handle it."

"That's right, Dragon. You could have told anyone of us. That is what we are here for. Remember that next time." Draco nodded in understanding. The professor scanned the hall. "It's time for you to go back to your common room. If you ever feel you are in danger, Draco, contact me. I am here to help."

"Even though Mother and Father have all but disowned me?"

The potions master nodded. "Especially since I know their affections have changed for you."

Draco smiled. "Okay, Uncle Sev. I'll go up to my common room now."

Draco hugged his godfather. Professor Snape tensed at first, but then relaxed into an awkward hug. Draco smiled and began to leave.

"Oh, and Draco?" The blond turned and looked expectantly at his godfather. "Remember it is Professor Snape here."

Draco smiled, nodded, and left, the cares of his day gone.

When he got to the common room, Hermione was still berating Harry. Harry had his nose in a book, completely ignoring the brunette who seemed adamant she could have handled the troll herself. Draco rolled his eyes. _Those two_ , he thought as he headed up to bed.


	9. Chapter 9

The First Quidditch Match

Hermione dropped down in her seat, scanning her friend in concern. Harry was glaring at his breakfast. That usually wasn't a good sign.

"What's up?" Hermione asked, brow furrowed.

Harry sighed. "Tomorrow's the first quidditch match of the season."

Draco smirked as he sat. "We're gonna get Slytherin good." He motioned from his friend to himself. "Between the two of us, we won't be beat."

"Oh, Harry," Hermione said, frowning, "I completely forgot."

The blond scowled. "Forgot what?" He grabbed some food and set it on his plate. He looked over at Harry's plate and then started dishing up some food for his friend, too.

"Hey," Harry said as Draco continued to pile food onto his plate.

"You're too skinny." Draco replaced the serving spoon in the mashed potatoes.

"So, what if I am? You're not my mother." Harry furrowed his brow as he dug into the food Draco had placed on his plate. Hermione shook her head and opened up a book. "What are you reading, Mione?"

Draco scowled at the dark-haired boy before turning to Hermione, waiting for her answer.

"I'm looking for another way to stop Quirrell tomorrow without using fire," Hermione said, never glancing up from her book.

Draco quirked an eyebrow. "Stop Quirrell from what?" Hermione surveyed the room uneasily. The blond nodded. "Not a conversation for here?"

"How about we head to the come and go room after dinner?" Harry said, eyes narrowing. Draco nodded before turning back to the food in front of him.

At that moment, Ron plopped down in front of Harry. Harry sighed internally and rolled his eyes.

Draco smirked. "Hi, Weasley. What brings you to our neck of the woods?"

Ron sneered at the blond and turned back to the boy-who-lived. "Hey Harry, I haven't seen you around a lot."

"Well, I have a lot of schoolwork to do. Add quidditch practice to that, and I barely have time for Draco and Mione here." Harry shrugged, motioning to his friends.

"We have to spend some time together, and soon. Want to go flying tomorrow evening?" Ron asked, elbowing Harry playfully. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Ronald, Harry will fly during the quidditch match. Tomorrow evening he has homework," Hermione said, arms crossed.

Ron waved her off, eyes never leaving his target. "He can do it later."

"I actually do have homework to do, Ron," Harry said, trying to find some sort of excuse to be far away from the ginger. Truth be told, Hermione should be proud of him. He finished his homework for the week earlier this afternoon. It was amazing how much easier the work was when he had done it all once before.

"Well, we'll just have to postpone then."

Harry rolled his eyes. He glanced at his watch.

"Oh, sure. Hey, I've got to get going. See ya," Harry said as he got up, grabbing Draco's arm and dragging him toward the Room of Requirement. Hermione followed after.

"So, what's the story with Quirrellmort and fire?" Draco asked, brow quirking.

Hermione sighed. "Do you remember when Professor Snape caught on fire?"

"Which time?" Draco asked, smirking. Harry doubled over laughing, remembering a certain potions class, Neville, and a knocked over cauldron.

Hermione glared at Harry. "At the Quidditch match."

"Which time?" Hermione glared at Draco. "Oh, you mean the day of spontaneous combustion?" Hermione rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yeah, sure, I remember it."

"It wasn't spontaneous combustion." Hermione crossed her arms. "I thought that Professor Snape was cursing Harry's broom, so…I…might have set him on fire."

"Okay, let me get this straight: you thought Professor Snape was cursing Harry, and your first thought was, 'Hey, let's set the professor on fire'?" Draco asked, scowling.

Harry nodded. "Yep, that's our Hermione for you. Always taking one for the team."

Both his friends glared.

"Well, this time, can you at least get the right bad guy and not set my godfather on fire?" Draco asked. Hermione nodded and took out her book.

The day of the match came and Harry could hardly stomach food. Hermione said she had a plan of action for today, but she refused to tell him what it was. For all he knew, she was going to use _Sectumsempra_ on the man.

"Ready for the match?" someone asked behind Harry. He jumped and turned around quickly to find his best friend and teammate standing behind him, grinning.

"Don't do that!"

"What? More Post-Traumatic Stress?" Draco asked, frowning. He had asked Hermione more about it after she suggested it in the Room of Requirement a couple weeks ago. It seemed like some really scary stuff. If Harry had it-if they all had it-they should really think about working through it, together. Harry nodded.

"But not how you think." Harry mumbled. Draco nodded. The Dursleys really messed Harry up.

"Good morning." Hermione smiled as she sat. Harry and Draco grunted in acknowledgement. She rolled her eyes. "Boys."

Draco scowled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She huffed. "Are you a caveman?"

"What's that?"

"Are you completely uncivilized?"

The blond's eyes narrowed. "No."

"Then use words."

Draco glared, turning back to his food. He only ate a little bit before Wood called Harry and him away to get ready for the match.

Draco and Harry dressed for the match in the locker rooms of the school. Neither one felt much like talking, so silence reigned between them.

"Alright, everyone. Huddle up," Oliver said, motioning everyone to come toward him.

Harry's eyes glinted mischievously as he turned to Draco. "Hey, you know all of Slytherin's plays from next year on. You could be very useful then."

Draco scowled. "And I'm not useful now?"

Harry snorted. "You're useful now, ferret...as bludger fodder."

Draco glared silently.

"Got it?" Wood asked, ending his lecture to the beaters.

The twin Weasleys nodded. "Got it!"

"Good. Now, let's get out there and win!"

Harry rolled his eyes.

They went out onto the pitch and the game started. Harry scanned the stands. Ron was waving eagerly at him. He shook his head and ignored the redhead. He needed to find Hermione. She wasn't there.

He shrugged. She must already be in place by the teacher's stand.

Harry's gaze wandered over to Professor Snape. The potion master's eyes darted to and fro, following the boy-who-lived.

Suddenly, his broom jerked. The boy sighed. Not again. He glanced over at his potions professor, whose eyes had widened minutely. At least he was paying attention.

The broom went wild and Harry struggled to hold onto the stick without losing his grip. He looked over at the teacher's stand again and saw Professor Snape muttering something under his breath. Then, he scanned the crowd for Quirrellmort and saw him mouthing something as well. If there were any doubts over what happened that day, they were put to rest now. Professor Snape had tried to save him, and Quirrellmort tried to kill him.

Hermione stood behind the teacher's stand. She shivered. Why did Quidditch matches have to start so late into the year? Sure, teachers might not mind the frigid temperatures, but their seats had nice warming charms on them. Stupid Dumbledore.

Hermione's eyes widened. Shoot, had she actually thought that? She shook her head. What was she becoming, questioning a teacher like that?

 _But wait,_ her brow furrowed. Why didn't the headmaster think about heating charms for the students? Or consider the students at all for quidditch? Come to think of it, why did parents have to sign off on a trip to Hogsmeade, but were never once contacted concerning their child's interest in playing a deadly game?

She sighed. This was not the time to divide her focus. She'd have to question her worldview later.

Hermione waited until she saw Harry's broom bucking before she enacted her plan. She looked for the nearest bludger. Good news, a Slytherin beater aimed one at Harry. Now it would be a Slytherin penalty if it did what it was supposed to do.

She thought of that bludger in her mind and whispered, " _Accio_."

Harry watched as a Slytherin beater hit the bludger, aiming for him. He closed his eyes. This was how it was going to end. Last time, the game had stopped completely. No rogue bludgers around to beat him when he was...down? Up? What could he call it? Either way, with his broom out of control, there was no way he could ever survive a bludger hit.

After a few moments, Harry opened his eyes. Did one of the twins see the hit and stop it before it reached him?

Harry's eyes widened as he watched the bludger connect with the evil git of a DADA professor. He chuckled, but couldn't find it in him to full on laugh, not when there were still butterflies fluttering around his midsection.

At that moment, Harry saw the snitch. It was just within his reach. He flew towards it, hand outstretched. Right as he was about to snatch it, the other seeker came out of nowhere and hit him from behind. He opened his mouth in shock and his hands flew down to the broomstick.

The next thing Harry remembered, the snitch was again in his mouth. He spat it out and showed it to everyone. The crowd cheered.

Meanwhile, Fate and Time were watching on, enjoying their view. Time turned to Fate.

"Why was that so important?" Time asked Fate.

Fate smiled and shrugged.

"I just really enjoy watching Harry catch the snitch in his mouth."

A whistle blew.

"Gryffindor wins," Madame Hooch said, her voice echoing across the stadium.

The team raced toward their common room, Harry on the twins' shoulders.

"Potter, Potter," the Gryffindors chanted, while Draco rolled his eyes, smiling.

"Alright, enough. Put the poor boy down," Hermione said, helping Harry gracefully to the floor.

"You're no fun, Granger," Ron said, arms crossed.

Harry snorted. "No fun? You don't know Hermione, then." He walked over, giving his two friends bottles of butterbeer.

"To celebrate this momentous occasion, we give to you-our newest members-the first slices of our victory cake," Fred said, handing over two pieces of chocolate cake.

Draco went to take a bite, but Harry stayed his fork.

Green eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What did you do to it?"

"Ah, come now, Harry," George said, smiling mischievously. "You're not suggesting we did anything that would in any way cause adverse effects to our seeker and star chaser, are you?"

Fred smirked. "Truly, you can't think we're so cruel."

"It's obvious we just want to make sure you two get a piece."

"It would be wrong for you not to."

"And with the amount of students demanding a slice…"

Harry glanced over at the untouched box cake. "So, where did you get these slices, then?"

The twins trained their eyes on the spot the boy was looking at. "Oh, well, our team has a special cake."

"Mhm, so if we eat this cake, it's not going to turn us into ferrets?"

Draco choked, coughing up butterbeer while trying hard not to drop the slice of cake he was holding.

"Of course not, dear Harry," Fred said, eyes sparkling.

"Or any other animal?"

George's smile dropped minutely. "Why would we ever…?"

"You do realize, if you prank Draco Malfoy, his godfather will come after you."

Fred nibbled his lip. "Who's that?"

"Professor Snape. He doesn't like pranks."

The twins grabbed the pieces of cake from the boys.

"On second thought…" George said.

"You probably want a fresher cake." Fred continued.

"This may or may not be the cake we had last time we won a game…"

"Last year…"

"In December…"

"Might be a bit stale…"

Draco smirked, biting his lip in a failed attempt not to laugh.

"I thought so," Harry said, walking over to the food and serving his friends some cake.

Fred turned to his twin. "How'd he know something was wrong with the cake?"

"Brother mine, I think we're becoming too predictable."

"Maybe we should stick to pranking the Puffs."

George nodded. "What do you think about turning their beds into puppies?"

The blond's ears perked up. "Puppies? Nah, those Puffs'll enjoy it. Probably start some therapy group with them." He shook his head. "I have an even better idea."

The redheads smirked at one another. "Follow us, oh mighty prankster. Show us your greatness."

"I will once you show me the way to the Hufflepuff common room."

Harry sauntered up to the three. "What are we doing to the Hufflepuff common room?"

George shrugged. "Just some harmless fun. Wanna join?"

"No one's going to get hurt, right?"

Draco smiled. "Not unless they fall off."

The four boys snuck out into the hall and tiptoed to the Hufflepuff dorms. The clock struck midnight, causing the two "younger" Gryffs to jump.

Fred snickered. "First time sneaking out of the tower?"

Harry rolled his eyes. As if.

They eased into the Hufflepuff common area.

"Alright, Malfoy," George said, arms crossed, "what's the big idea?"

The blond's eyes sparkled. "Do you know how to transfigure inanimate objects into large animals yet?"

FPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFP

Whinnying echoed through the halls. Professors Flitwick, McGonagall, Sprout, and Snape rushed to the second(?) floor, hoping they could whip out their wands before the great attack. Where was Dumbledore when you needed him?

"Mr. Diggory?" Professor Sprout asked, eyebrows rising behind her bangs. "What in Merlin's name are you doing?"

Cedric held tight to the mane of an albino Abraxan mare. His eyes were wide and his lip trembled.

"I really don't know, Professor. I was asleep, and suddenly my bed started galloping away." His knuckles turned white. "I just want to go back to sleep."

Professor Snape growled. "Who could have done this?"

The transfiguration teacher shook her head. "I don't know, but I must say, it's quite a feat. Look at that mane. No one would have guessed the coloring used to be black and yellow…"

"Minerva, this is your problem. Instead of punishing the children for pranks, you commend them on their transfiguration skills."

"Can't I kill two birds with one stone?"

The potions master shook his head. "When do you get into inanimate to animate transfiguration?"

"To this scale? N.E.W.T.s."

Professor Snape turned to Professor Sprout. "We're looking for a sixth or seventh year who has a problem with Hufflepuff."

"All of Hufflepuff?" Pomona asked, quirking a brow. The only one on a horse in the hall was Cedric.

"Ahh," a young girl screamed, holding tight as her bed galloped down the hall.

"Miss Abbott?"

"Professor Sprout?" Hannah asked, paling. "Get me off this thing, please."

Severus smirked. "Yes, all of Hufflepuff."


	10. Chapter 10

Christmas

"You know," Harry said one day, twirling his wand around aimlessly as they waited for potions to start, "it's not really fair."

Draco looked up from his parchment, furrowing his brow. "What's not fair?"

Harry shrugged. "The fact that the three of us are currently competing for the top grades."

Hermione's mouth dropped. "How could you say that? We work hard for our grades."

"Yeah," Harry snorted. "Sure. We work hard. Doesn't help at all that we already know the answers."

Hermione shrugged. "It's not our fault. I don't understand why there wouldn't be some new content they taught us."

Harry quirked an eyebrow. "Hermione, we're time travelers. We went back to the past, not the future. So, yes, they are teaching us the exact same content. However, it's not their fault."

"We could always self-study," Draco said, turning back to his parchment.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm already doing that. I've been doing that since _last_ first year."

Ron turned around, brow furrowed. " _Last_ first year?"

"Shut up, Weasley. No one invited you into this conversation," the blond said, crossing his arms.

"Maybe we should talk somewhere else. You know, after class," Harry said, scanning the public classroom. The three nodded and turned back to wait for Professor Snape.

The door slammed open. The resounding thud echoed through the room. Harry jumped.

Draco turned to his friend, brow quirked. "You okay?"

The boy-who-lived closed his eyes, breathing deeply. He nodded.

"It's just Professor Snape. It's just Professor Snape," he chanted to himself.

Draco shook his head, returning his attention to the front of the room.

After class was over, the trio ran from the dungeons toward the room of requirement. They paced and a door appeared. They entered.

The boys quickly screwed their faces into ones of disgust.

"Who thought of this?" Draco asked as he surveyed the bright purple living room.

Harry nodded in agreement. It quite resembled a dinosaur in a tv show his aunt usually showed the neighbor kid when she babysat. Draco glared at Harry, accusingly.

Harry's mouth dropped and his eyes narrowed. "Hey, don't look at me. I couldn't think of something this girly!"

After a moment, both heads swiveled to Hermione, who dropped elegantly into an electric purple, overstuffed chair. She sighed in delight.

Draco rolled his eyes. "That explains it."

The boy-who-lived crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you think we could wish for something to sit on that's not as close to Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?"

The blond shrugged in reply. Harry closed his eyes, and two beige recliners appeared.

"So, what are you going to do for Christmas, Granger?" Draco asked the young girl now cuddled up in her fuzzy chair.

She shrugged. "Go home. See my family." She sighed. "I spent the summer trying to make up for the fact I obliviated them. I'm trying to come up with some good Christmas presents that will aid me further."

Draco sat up straight. "You _Obliviated_ your own parents?" Did Hermione Granger have the nerve to do such a thing?

"Yes, I sent them to Australia to keep them safe."

Silence filled the room.

"Scarhead, what was up with you in potions?" Draco asked, laying back down in the recliner.

Harry sighed. "It's nothing."

"Yeah, and I'm the minister of magic," Draco said, arms crossed. Hermione giggled. "What's it to you, Granger? Don't think I can do it?"

The young girl shook her head. "No, I'm just used to the muggle saying. Never heard the wizarding equivalent before."

"What muggle saying?"

"You know," Harry said, more than willing to keep the conversation away from its previous subject, "'and I'm the Queen of England'?"

"The muggles have a queen?" Draco's brow furrowed. "And they think we're antiquated. At least we live in a democracy."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "They vote for almost everyone else, and the queen doesn't have much say in legal matters anymore." She faced Harry. "But it seems Harry has done well in diverting our original topic."

The boy in question grimaced. "You caught that, huh?"

"What's up, Harry? You weren't half this skitzy last time."

"It's nothing," the boy said, shaking his head.

"Does it have to do with Voldemort?"

"I doubt it," Draco said, eyes rolling. "I never saw the boy-who-lived cower in fear before the dark lord."

"What do you know, ferret?" Harry asked, nose scrunched.

"I know you have many more people to fear than a crazed mass murderer."

Harry averted his gaze.

Hermione's brow furrowed. "Harry? What's he talking about?"

"It's nothing, Mione."

"Nothing my arse," the blond said, shifting in his chair to face the girl. "His uncle beats him."

"Draco," Harry said, his tone darkening.

"No, scarhead. If you won't help yourself, you need others to do it for you."

"I don't need saving."

"Then why won't you tell us why a slammed door would suddenly cause you to hyperventilate?"

Harry scowled. "I don't need to explain myself to you."

"Harry," Hermione said gently, walking over and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Whatever it is, you can tell us."

He averted his eyes once more. "Mione, I can handle it myself."

"Just because you can doesn't mean you should."

Harry sighed. "My home isn't the safest place for me."

"But, Professor Dumbledore said…"

"The blood wards, yes. Magically speaking, it's safer than Gringotts."

Draco snorted. "That's not saying much anymore."

"Anyway," the boy-who-lived said, glaring at his blond friend, "physically speaking, it's very dangerous. Uncle Vernon hits when he's angry, and he uses whatever's within arm's reach."

Hermione closed her eyes. "Harry…"

"No, let me finish," the boy said, holding a hand up to stop her. "He's broken bones before, enjoyed forcing my hands onto a hot stove when I burned food, and went days without feeding me."

"What's this got to do with the door?" Draco asked, eyes narrowing.

"Sometimes, when he was really angry, he'd slam the door of my cupboard open and…"

"Wait," Hermione said, eyes widening. "Did you say cupboard?"

"Well…"

"They kept you in a cupboard?"

"Just until my Hogwarts let…"

"I'll kill the muggles," Hermione yelled, throwing her hands in the air before she began pacing.

"Mione, it's nothing-"

"Nothing? Keeping you in a cupboard is nothing?"

"Don't forget treating him like a house elf," Draco said, smirking. At least he wasn't the only one ready to Crucio the Dursleys.

"A house elf?" the girl asked, face reddening.

"Mione, can we talk about something else, please?" Harry asked softly.

"How could you even think of asking me that?" She shook her head. "We need to file a report. We have to have proof." She conjured a parchment and quill. "Now, I'm going to record while you give me a detailed account of everything that happened…"

"Mione," Draco said, rising and walking over to his friend. "I know an injustice occurred. I know you want to help your friend. I even know that the wizarding world would jump at a chance to put the Dursleys in Azkaban. However, I don't see that happening."

"Whyever not?"

The blond shook his head. "I don't think Dumbledore would allow it."

Hermione's mouth dropped. "How could you even think that?"

"You're telling me the greatest wizard in the past century couldn't recognize the signs of child abuse?"

"I'm sure he would have taken Harry away if he did."

"You are so idealistic," Draco said, shaking his head. "It's cute-really, it is-but it's not reality."

"Oh, and I suppose you're a realist?"

"Well, yeah…"

"More like pessimist."

"Guys," Harry said, jumping in-between them. "Look, I appreciate the concern." He shook his head. "I just don't want to deal with this right now, okay? Maybe someday, I'll go to Dumbledore and he'll let me leave there. Until then, I don't want to focus on something I can't change. Can we please talk about something else?"

"Fine," Hermione huffed, returning to her fluffy chair. "So, Harry, do you still think you'll get presents from the Weasleys this year?"

Harry rolled his eyes, but shrugged. "I'm on the team with the twins, and even though I don't like him, Ron likes me. We'll see."

"Won't you get presents from anyone else?" Draco asked, brow furrowed. Surely, someone as adored in the wizarding world as Harry would get loads of presents

"Well, losing your parents at a young age doesn't necessarily lend itself to massive stacks of gifts," Harry replied sarcastically. He shook his head. "Seriously, the Dursleys hate me, I haven't seen my parents' friends in years, and until first year I never had any friends. Doesn't give a lot of giver options."

"Oh," the blond said, staring down at his hands.

Harry smiled, eyes sparkling. "But I will get the invisibility cloak that's rightfully mine."

Draco sat, still staring at his hand for a moment before his eyes widened and he hit Harry upside the head. "So that's how you did everything."

Harry rubbed the offending spot. "Yeah, it's my dad's. Dumbledore has it." His brow furrowed. "Thinking back, he made it sound like he was doing me a favor by returning it. It was rightfully mine and should have been saved in my parents' vault, not at Dumbledore's disposal."

They echoed through the room.

Finally, Hermione rose from her seat. "Well, boys, we still have two more weeks of classes before Christmas break. Let's forget about this depressing conversation and finish strong."

She helped the boy out of their recliners and they all headed back to the Gryffindor tower.

FPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFP

"Now, remember Draco and Harry," Hermione said as she drug her suitcase down the stairs. "We need to research how to take the tracers off our wands. Perhaps when you get the invisibility cloak, you can look in the restricted section for a while."

Draco snorted. "Yes, Mum."

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to Harry. "Have a great Christmas."

The boy smiled as he hugged her. "And a happy new year."

Hermione swiveled to face Draco. "Happy Christmas."

Draco's brow creased. "Have a good new year?"

With that, Hermione jumped into his arms, squeezing him tight.

"Take good care of him. Promise?" she asked in the blond's ear.

He nodded, never needing to express his agreement verbally.

The boys watched as Hermione's carriage drove away, remaining silent. Neither one wanted to show the other how much they missed the curly haired girl.

The next few days were chaos. If it weren't for Draco, they wouldn't have gotten any research done whatsoever. However, the blond somehow managed to keep Harry on track and soon they had several viable options to test once Hermione got back.

On Christmas day, a stack of presents lay at the end of the bed, surprising Harry greatly. He'd told Draco the truth, he didn't have many friends to begin with last time around, and his list had dwindled further. He hadn't kept in touch with as many of his mentors.

Among the usual-invisibility cloak from Dumbledore, _Quidditch through the Ages_ from Hermione, the five pence from the Dursleys, a Weasley sweater from Molly (with a not-so-subtle note stating that her Ronniekins helped her make it)-Harry found an unusual package with Draco's name on it. He unwrapped it to find a copy of _1984_ by George Orwell.

He quirked an eyebrow. How did Draco know about a muggle book? Better yet, why did he think to give it to Harry? The boy opened the cover. After reading the first few words, he dropped the book, mouth agape.

"You alright there, scarhead?" the blond asked, blinking his eyes a few times.

Harry shook his head. Behind the front cover, was a note: _To Severus. I know you loved_ Animal Farm _, so I thought you might like this book, too. Maybe we can read it together and discuss it. Hope you enjoy! Lily_.

His mother. His mother had given this book to Professor Snape. He looked over at Draco.

"How…How did you get this?" Harry asked, voice cracking.

Draco grinned sheepishly. "I remembered you saying Uncle Sev was a friend of your mother. I asked him for something of hers and he gave me this." He paused for a moment and added, "Look in there again. I remember him saying something about giving you a trinket, as well."

Harry looked back in the box and his breath caught. Inside was a muggle photograph of a young Lily, sitting on a swing he recognized as the swing where she and Professor Snape met. His throat tightened and his eyes welled with tears.

"Thank you." He whispered, directing his gratitude toward Draco.

The blond shrugged. "It was nothing, really. It was mostly Uncle Sev."

Harry shook his head. "But you asked him. This is more than Ron ever did for me. Thank you."

FPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFP

"Come on," Harry whispered, quickly glancing behind him.

"Where in the world are you taking me, Harry?" Draco asked as he tried to stay under the invisibility cloak.

"Nowhere if we get caught." Harry came to a halt, and Draco slammed into him.

The blond scowled. "Warning would be nice." Harry pulled off the cloak. "And what happened to come on?"

"We're here," Harry said, eyes sparkling.

"What joy," Draco drawled as he surveyed the dusty room. "Where are we?"

"Some unused classroom, but that's beside the point." Harry stood in front of an old mirror. He stayed silent for a few minutes before sighing and turning to Draco. "Your turn."

"My turn for what? Admiring myself for a godforsaken amount of time in front of an old mirror?" Draco sneered.

"I'm not that vain." Harry grabbed the blond's shoulders and positioned him in front of the mirror. "Just look, and tell me what you see."

Draco sighed, shrugging his shoulders. Might as well indulge the boy-who-lived in his moment of madness.

"Well, what do you see?" Harry asked.

Draco shrugged. "Granger and myself with a bunch of kids."

Harry's eyes widened. "That's your greatest desire?"

The blond glared. "No." He averted his eyes, and waivered in his spot. "What do you mean?"

Harry pointed to the top of the mirror. "You read it backwards. _I show not your face, but your heart's desire._ " He turned to his blond friend. "Since when do you have a crush on Hermione?"

Draco sighed. "I…I don't know." He shook his head. "I wasn't sure I had one. I mean, yeah, I did. Who didn't? She's the smartest witch of her age. I…thought I was over it, though."

"Well, the mirror says otherwise."

"What do you see, Harry?" Draco asked. The sooner they got away from the topic of Hermione, the better.

"My parents and Sirius." Harry said, shrugging. "At least I have a chance at having Sirius back." Draco's eyes widened and he nodded. "Anyway, that's all I wanted to show you. So, now you know."

Harry slipped the cloak back over the both of them and they headed off to bed.


	11. Chapter 11

Quirrellmort

When Hermione got back from Christmas break, Draco and Harry presented her with several options to take the tracers off their wands.

Hermione sighed, shaking her head."They really should keep this further out of reach."

"Well, it is part of the seventh-year curriculum," Draco said, furrowing his brow. "You have to write something about the ministry and one is an essay on how the tracers were taken off your wand. It shows some competency in wandlore, I think, as well as magical theory." Draco waved dismissively. "Of course, you would have known that if you bothered to come to school seventh-year."

Hermione snorted. "We were a tad busy searching for horcruxes." She looked down at the tome in front of her. "Perhaps we should wait until an adult is involved."

"Are you calling Sirius an adult?" Harry asked.

Hermione shrugged. "With Sirius comes Professor Lupin."

Draco nodded knowingly. "Ah, the werewolf."

"The best professor we ever had," Harry said, scowling at Draco.

"I never said I disagreed," the blond said, holding his hands up in front of him.

Hermione furrowed her brow. "What about Professor McGonagall?"

Harry shook his head. "She doesn't believe us, remember? We end up risking our necks later this year because she told us that no one was going after the stone."

"Well, Professor Lupin didn't believe you when you said Pettigrew was on the map."

Harry sighed. "Whatever, he was the best Defense professor we had."

"Agreed." Hermione nodded.

"So, the tracers…" Draco redirected.

Hermione turned to him. "Oh, yes, it's very simple. Here, I can do it." Hermione motioned for Draco to give his wand to her.

Harry intercepted her, grabbing it himself. "Won't they notice two tracers are missing?"

"Who is going to check on this bureaucratic nonsense?" Draco responded as Hermione stole the wand from Harry and took the trace off his wand. Then, she used his wand to take the tracer off her wand.

"There. Now use your freedom wisely," Hermione said, nodding.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mum."

Hermione glared.

Classes began to speed by and before they knew it, it was exams week. The exams were much easier the second time around, though they had to be wary of adding in information that a first year wouldn't yet know.

"Everyone will think we're geniuses." Draco joked as they sat under a tree. He tilted his head. "Well, I always was a genius. They'll think I rubbed off on you two, now."

"Yeah, right, Malfoy. Tell that to me again when you've defeated Voldemort five times." Harry twirled his wand around. "Wait!" He dropped his wand. "It's tonight, isn't it?"

"What's tonight?" Draco asked.

Hermione nodded. "It's tonight."

"What's tonight?" Draco repeated. "Guys, you keep acting like I already know what you're thinking. What happened today last time?"

Harry and Hermione looked at one another. "Quirrellmort."

Draco slumped. "Oh, that thing."

They ran up to McGonagall.

"Professor, professor," Hermione said, trying to grab the woman's attention.

Professor McGonagall scowled, turning to face the trio. "Yes, Miss Granger? What can I help you with? I already told you I can't give an O student extra credit." She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "That would destroy the grading system."

Hermione sighed. "No, that's not it."

Harry stepped forward. "We think Professor Quirrell is after the Philosopher's Stone."

"How do you know about that?" the Professor asked, her scowl deepening.

Draco shook his head. "Nevermind that. He's going after the stone. He knows how to get to it."

McGonagall crossed her arms. "Well, I don't know how you figured out about the stone, but I assure you it's safe."

"Yes," Hermione said, mimicking her professor's stance, "it's safely ensconced behind a cerebrus, devil's snare, and a troll. How very protected."

Draco's eyes widened and he glanced over at Harry. Harry just shook his head. Whatever had gotten Mione in this state was not something they should question right now.

"Well, I never," McGonagall huffed. "Miss Granger, I recommend you go back to your common room, before you start losing points. If the headmaster feared for the security of the stone, he would not have left the castle for the day." With that, she turned and walked toward her office.

Hermione sighed, shaking her head.

"Well, Miss Granger, it would seem the little lionness has teeth."

The trio jumped, turning to see Professor Snape coming out from behind a column.

Hermione huffed. "Well, sir, I take the protection of this school seriously."

The dark man nodded. "As you should. However, I believe you can trust the adults at this school to defend it well. No need for firsties to worry about into business that was never theirs to know."

The man stalked off, and Draco turned to his friends.

"I guess it's too much to hope that the two of you agree with the professor, and are going to go back to the common room for biscuits and hot cocoa instead?" Hermione and Harry walked off in the direction of the third floor corridor. Draco sighed. "I was afraid so."

They ran to the third floor corridor, and opened the door. Draco squeaked when he saw Fluffy.

"Come on, you big baby. He's asleep. We've dealt with him when he was awake." Hermione scoffed.

Draco shook his head as Hermione dragged him towards the trapdoor.

"Who names that thing Fluffy?" Draco asked, struggling against the young girl's grip.

"The same man who names his genteel pet dog Fang."

Harry opened the trapdoor and dove in. Draco shrieked as Hermione pushed him down the hole. She finally jumped and shut the door behind her.

None of them struggled to get through the first two challenges.

"Really? How did they expect to keep the Dark Lord at bay when these traps don't even fluster first years?" Draco asked as they reached the chessboard.

Harry shook his head. "I don't know what goes through Dumbledore's head. He's crazy enough to hire a werewolf and a death eater. I've stopped questioning his actions years ago."

This time, Harry had Draco be the king, and Draco easily guided them through the game, without needing to sacrifice anyone. Harry smiled smugly when Hermione decided to play the queen.

When they arrived at the potions challenge, they stopped.

"Do you think the potion refills itself? Do you think we could all go through together?" Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged. "I mean, I got through after Quirrellmort. That would suggest that the potion refills itself. There's no reason to go back for anyone, so let's try it and see." He took a drink of the potion and walked through the flames.

Moments later, Draco appeared. Finally, Hermione brought up the rear and they all walked towards the Mirror of Erised, where they knew they would come face-to-face with a monster.

Draco's eyes widened, his body trembling. "We're actually going to be facing the Dark Lord."

"It's fine. We face him, Harry gets the stone, touches Voldemort, and we're out of here," Hermione said, eyes focused straight ahead.

The blond's mouth dropped. "Touches Voldemort? I didn't know they were that close."

Harry scrunched his nose. "Ew, no! He melts when I touch his face. It's my mother's protection, sicko."

"You still have to touch him." Draco giggled.

"What was that?" A voice echoed through the chamber.

Draco squealed. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I've been through this." She glanced around the chamber. "Okay, not this particularly, but I've been through worse."

Harry put a finger to his lips and the other two fell silent.

"Who goes there?" Quirrell asked, turning around. He saw the three children and smiled maniacally. "Ahh, Harry Potter and friends. How good of you to join us."

Harry looked at his friends and made a split-second decision. He walked up to Quirrell, put one hand on his face, and the other on the back of his head. Quirrell began to scream and buck under the pain and agony, but Harry did not care. Hermione ran out and went to grab the first adult she could find. Draco stood frozen in sheer terror.

Harry was about to pass out from the pain when suddenly, a strong hand pulled him away from the dying man. He had no idea who it was, but he was grateful.

"What are you three idiot Gryffindors doing?" Snape's voice asked. Harry passed out before he could respond.

The-boy-who-lived awoke in the hospital wing to find a slightly aggravated Professor Snape standing at the foot of his bed.

"I received two similar stories as to the happenings down there in the chamber, but I want to hear it one more time from you."

Harry nodded. "Well, it all began when Hagrid took me to Gringotts…" With that, the boy went point-by-point through the last timeline, never once suggesting it was anything else than this year.

Finally, Professor Snape nodded. "And how did you get past the potions challenge? That was meant to keep a highly skilled grown wizard out. How did three first year Gryffindors figure it out?"

"Well, we did it…Actually, Hermione did it. She's really smart."

Professor Snape nodded, turning to walk away.

"Stop," Harry called out, his eyes widening. The professor paused, not turning around. "By the way, thank you…for the picture. I-I never had a picture of my mum before."

Professor Snape turned to face Harry, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well, then, perhaps this might not go amiss." Professor Snape took out a green-bound book and handed it to the small boy in front of him. Harry opened it, tears threatening to spill down his cheeks. It was the photo album that Hagrid put together last time around, the one filled with pictures of James and the marauders and his parent's wedding. This time, however, there were more pictures of his mother, especially as a young girl. Harry's throat tightened.

"Thank you," Harry whispered, afraid anymore would cause the floodgates to open. He looked at Professor Snape, tears beginning to drain down his face. Snape nodded his head and walked out of the hospital wing, his duty done. Harry promised himself never to forget this moment.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Standard author note applies.

Train Ride Home

Harry sighed, staring at a picture of the Marauders chasing one another. How could Professor Snape have gotten that one? He shrugged. He learned not to question the professor.

"Good morning, Madame Pomphrey."

Harry jumped and ran to the curtain drawn around his bed. Across the way, Dumbledore stood chatting up the nurse. The boy's eyes widened and he quickly gathered his things.

"Well, I hope you don't mind, dear," Dumbledore said casually, "but I was hoping to talk to Harry for a moment."

No, no, no. Harry did not want to have this conversation a second time. Dumbledore ignored most of his pertinent questions last time, and he never once told Harry why Voldemort targeted them.

Harry paused, eyes narrowing. Why the hell did Dumbledore keep that from Harry? He couldn't have said that Voldemort believed the key to victory was to kill an infant? He didn't need to go into details, but the basics would have helped Harry immensely.

The boy-who-lived shook his head and snuck out of the hospital wing using the back entrance. Dumbledore would have to wait if he truly wanted to talk.

Harry raced toward the Gryffindor common room, hoping to pack before the Leaving Feast. He smiled as he caught sight of his friends.

"Hey guys."

Draco walked over and hit the boy upside the head. "Of all the things you could have done, you put your hand on his face?" The blond shook his head. "Must I repeat myself? You're a wizard, Harry. Use magic."

"I did," Harry said, arms crossed. "Magic is more than flimsy wand waving, you know."

"What happened with getting the stone from the Mirror of Erised?" Hermione asked as her friends sat down.

Harry shrugged. "Why? Voldemort couldn't get it. Quirrell was dead. What's the point in trying to get the stone out?"

Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but then closed it quickly. She tilted her head before nodding in understanding.

"I guess you're right." She sighed. "It would have been dumb to get the stone out after the danger was gone."

"It'd be dumb to leave it in a school full of children guarded by challenges a first year could easily complete," Draco said, rolling his eyes.

"Draco," Hermione said, scowling, "what have I said about questioning the headmaster?"

"I'm sorry," the blond said, throwing up his hands. "I can't help it. Everything he does is stupid, alright? He left the philosopher's stone in the dark lord's reach. He never once questioned any DADA teacher's pedigree-no background checks completed, no required certifications-even after multiple ones tried to kill students. He couldn't figure out there was a stinking basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets…"

"Sh," Hermione said, rushing to cover the ex-Slytherin's mouth. "Do you want to give everything away?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "I put up a silencing charm as soon as Harry came in. They'll overhear a completely different conversation if they walk over and eavesdrop."

Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Harry scrunched his nose. "I don't know, Mione," he said, sighing. "I think ferret has a point."

"Hey, I resent that name," the boy in question said, arms crossed.

"Whatever," Harry said, shaking his head. "I mean, last time-after we saved Hogwarts from an evil mass murderer-he refused to tell me why the man went after me when I was a baby. I asked him if I could stay here because I didn't like it at the Dursleys, and he didn't let me…"

"He doesn't let anyone stay during the summers. Hogwarts isn't a hotel, Harry," Hermione said softly.

"Oh, really?" Harry asked, quirking a brow. "Hagrid."

There was a pause.

"Fine. You were saying?"

"And he never told us that we were carrying a horcrux with us that entire seventh year."

Hermione's brow creased. "What do you mean?"

Harry sighed. "I'm a horcrux, Mione."

"A horcrux?" Draco asked, brows stitched together. "What's that?"

Hermione paled. "You are?"

"A horcrux," Harry said, nodding to Hermione before turning to Draco, "is a container that holds a bit of a person's soul. It gives them immortality."

"So, you have someone's soul inside of you?" the blond asked, eyes narrowing.

"Not just anyone's soul," Hermione said. "Voldemort's soul." She jumped out of her chair. "And Dumbledore knew this the whole time?"

Harry nodded. "Yes. That was the memory Professor Snape had to show me."

"And he never told you?"

"I think I'd remember that conversation."

"Yeah," Draco said, chuckling humorlessly. "Hey Harry, just letting you know that you carry part of the man who killed your parents."

"Totally." Harry nodded. "No pressure, or anything, really. But as the chosen one, you have to kill yourself to save all of wizarding kind. It's the only way to destroy the leech inside of you."

The ex-Slytherin's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

"A horcrux," Hermione said, closing her eyes, "can only be destroyed by destroying its container. To kill Voldemort, we have to completely demolish the thing it's in-including Harry."

The blond snorted. "That explains it."

"What?" Harry asked, brow furrowed.

Draco surveyed the room. "I'll explain later. It's about time to leave. We should get to the feast."

They arrived late. Bright red and gold adorned the halls by now. Grumblings over rigged games spread across the hall quicker than plague.

Hermione's mouth dropped. "But…But that's cheating! We're no better than the Slytherins, then." Draco shot her a glare. "Oops, sorry."

Draco shrugged. "I don't know why this bothers you so much. It didn't seem to last time." Draco reminded her.

She sighed. "I was too excited about winning the house cup to think about it. I considered it over the summer, but at that time who was I to question a professor?"

Harry smiled and slung his arm around Hermione's shoulder. "Our little Hermione is growing up, questioning authority and everything."

Draco laughed. Hermione glared at her friend.

FPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFP

"So, what happened over the summer? That way, I can be prepared," the ex-Slytherin asked, walking his trunk to the train.

Harry threw his arms in the air. "Your insane elf stopped all communication between Ron, Hermione, and me."

"That's easily fixed."

"Really?" Harry asked, eyes sparkling.

Hermione shook her head. "He still needs to do that, Harry. For the timeline to remain unaffected."

The boy rolled his eyes. "Fine." He smirked. "Hey, you know, Dobby said he had heard great things about me."

Draco's eyes widened. "Did he say who?"

Green eyes sparkled. "He might have said a little dragon told him." Hermione punched the boy in his arm. "Hey."

"I'm going to have that elf kill himself," Draco said, arms crossed.

Hermione scowled. "Draco..."

"What? He has to do whatever I tell him to."

Harry shrugged. "Actually, that's not exactly true. He just punishes himself if he breaks your command."

"Yes, well he still shouldn't have told you."

Harry smirked. "What did you tell him about me?"

"Shut up, Potter."

Draco watched out the window, lazily playing with his wand while Harry looked through his beloved photo album. Hermione, as always, had her nose in a book.

"You still haven't told me what all happened second year," Draco said, eyes roaming the landscape.

Harry shrugged. "Your dad gives Ginny a horcrux. Your house elf tries to maim me. I have to face not only young Voldemort, but a basilisk as well. All this while maintaining my grades and trying not to die."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You left out the part where you and Ron take a _flying car_ to school, almost getting yourselves caught by muggles."

The green eyed boy sighed. "Well, if you really want to get into it, we also go to a Death Day party, find out I'm a parseltounge…" Harry paused. "Thanks for that, by the way, Malfoy. Anyway, to wrap it all up, Lockhart wipes his own memory."

"So that's where he went," Draco said, facing his friends. "Serves him right, the vain idiot."

The cabin door flew open.

"Hiya, Harry. Busy end of the year, wasn't it?" Ron asked, sitting down across from the boy. Harry shrugged and went back to his photo album. "Did you really come face-to-face with You-Know-Who?"

"I don't really like to talk about it," Harry said, staring at a picture of his mum and who he assumed to be Professor Snape as a little boy.

"Whatchya got there?" Ron asked, grabbing at the scrapbook.

Harry's eyes widened and he pulled the prized possession closer. "Hey, watch it."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Haven't you learned some etiquette or manners, Weasley? You don't just take whatever you want. You have to ask first."

Ron sighed. "I just wanted a closer look."

"It's a scrapbook full of photos of my parents. My mom's friend made it for me," Harry said, his arms relaxing their hold of said object. "I never got to see pictures of my parents before, so it's very precious to me." Harry held out the book. "You can look at it if you want, but please be careful."

"Oh," Ron said, brow furrowed. Who could be so obsessed with a picture that didn't even move? "What are your plans for the summer?" Ron asked, ignoring the photo album.

Harry sighed. "Just keep busy. I'll probably have a bunch of work to do, and I won't be able to get most of my homework done at the beginning of the summer."

Draco's eyes narrowed. His nostrils flared. He bit his lip to keep from saying anything.

"Well, I'll send you letters so you have something to do," Ron promised, completely ignoring Harry. "Maybe we could set up a play date."

The green-eyed boy rolled his eyes. "Oh, yippee."

Ron sat there a few minutes, creating quite an awkward silence. "Well, we're almost home. Better get back to my cabin before the twins start searching for me."

Harry sighed and nodded telling Ron he had heard and understood what he said.

Once Ron left, Draco turned to Harry.

"Harry, you'll let me know if you are in any kind of danger, right?" Draco asked, concerned. Harry nodded.

"Of course," Harry replied half-heartedly. Like he was going to worry his friend over something so small as his uncle's beatings. He was not in any real danger over the summer. He could handle himself.

"Good," Draco said. "I still want you to send letters often."

The boy-who-lived rolled his eyes. "Would you like me to give you a ring once a day, too?"

Hermione looked up from her book.

"Did you say something, Harry?"

Harry's brow furrowed. "We just had an entire conversation with Ron and you didn't notice it?"

She blushed. "Sorry, I was just really enthralled by this book. You should read it sometime." She held up a potions book.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Sure, in all my spare time this summer, I'll read a potions book."

Draco smirked and looked out his window.

 _Yes,_ he thought, _this certainly is going to be an interesting summer._


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Not mine. JK's. All familiar content is from _Chamber of Secrets,_ pg. 5-6 & 12-19

Summer Rescue

"Now, as we all know, today is a very important day," Vernon said, glaring at Harry. "This could well be the day I make the biggest deal of my career."

The boy rolled his eyes, scrunching his nose. Yeah, he'd heard that one before. Many times, in fact, and that wasn't counting the fact he went back in time to hear it all over again.

"I think we should run through the schedule one more time," said Vernon, tapping his finger on his bicep. "We should all be in position at eight o'clock. Petunia, you will be-?"

"In the lounge, waiting to welcome them graciously to our home."

"Good, good. And Dudley?"

"I will be waiting to open the door," Dudley said, his voice uppity. "May I take your coats, Mr. and Mrs. Mason?"

Vernon nodded, still staring at Harry.

"And I'll be upstairs, making no noise and pretending I don't exist," Harry said, running upstairs, huffing to catch his breath before going into the room. Once he could breath easily, Harry proceeded to open the door. "Er—hello."

There was a tiny creature sitting on his bed. Wait, not just any creature. Harry's eyes widened. Dobby! How could it have slipped his mind?

The elf slipped off, bowing so low that the end of his long nose touched the carpet.

"Harry Potter!" said Dobby, loudly enough that Harry was sure Uncle Vernon would hear. "So long has Dobby wanted to meet you, sir…Such an honor it is…"

"Th-thank you?" Harry sat down in his desk chair, eyeing this Dobby carefully. Should he drop the pretense with the elf and let him know that Harry already knew who he was? The boy shook his head. That probably wouldn't make Fate or Time very happy. "Who are you?"

"I is Dobby."

I know, Harry thought. "Okay, let me rephrase: what are you?"

The elf flinched. "I is Dobby, a house elf."

"Er," Harry started, glancing at the door, "I don't want to be rude or anything, but—this isn't a great time for me to have a house-elf in my bedroom."

A screeching fake laugh echoed through the house. Aunt Petunia must have tried to make a joke.

"Not that I'm not pleased to meet you," Harry continued, "but, er, is there any particular reason you're here?"

"Oh, yes, sir," Dobby said, nodding. "Dobby has come to tell you, sir…it is difficult, sir…Dobby wonders where to begin…"

"What is it?" Harry asked, forcing his voice to remain steady. "Sit down."

To his horror, the elf burst into tears—sobbing very loudly. Shoot, how could he have forgotten the stupid house-elf cried at the slightest kindness?

The voices downstairs faltered.

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered, "I didn't mean to offend or anything—"

"Offend Dobby!" choked the elf. "Dobby has never been asked to sit down by a wizard—like an equal—"

"Well," Harry said, turning to the elf. "You can't have met many decent wizards."

Dobby shook his head before banging his head against the window, shouting, "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"

"What are you doing?" Harry hissed in horror, trying to grab the wiggling elf. Hedwig started screeching as the elf accidently knocked her cage.

The boy was able to calm Dobby down, pulling him over to sit on the bed.

"Now, what did you need to tell me?"

"Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts."

Harry sighed. Please, Dobby, listen to Draco and don't get in my way, he thought nervously. "Seriously, what is it?"

"Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts. He is in much danger there."

The boy-who-lived furrowed his brow. "But, I have to go back to Hogwarts. It's my home."

"But bad things is to happen there, Mister Harry, sir."

"How do you know this? Did your master tell you something?"

Dobby freaked, and began hitting himself with the lamp next to Harry's bed. This once again knocked Hedwig's cage, causing her to screech again.

A sudden silence fell downstairs. Two seconds later Harry heard Uncle Vernon coming into the hall. "Dudley must have left his television on again, the little tyke."

Green eyes bounced from the door to the hysterical elf. "Quick, the closet."

Harry stuffed Dobby in the closet, shutting the door, and flinging himself bodily over it.

"What—the—devil—are—you—doing?" asked Uncle Vernon through gritted teeth. "You just ruined the punchline of my Japanese golfer joke…One more sound and you'll wish you were never born, boy."

Vernon left, and Harry let Dobby out of the closet.

"See what it's like here?" Harry asked. Why couldn't the elf get it through his thick little skull?

"But doesn't the great Harry Potter have lots of friends here? Friends that actually write to him?"

Harry rolled his eyes and grabbed the elf. He held Dobby upside down, shaking him a couple times. He wasn't even sure why he was doing this. It wasn't like he didn't know what was about to fall out. "You've been stealing my letters."

"Harry Potter mustn't be angry…Dobby hoped…if Harry Potter thought his friends had forgotten him…Harry Potter might not want to go back to school." Harry tried to grab the letters. "Harry Potter will have them, sir, if he gives Dobby his word that he will not return to Hogwarts. This is a danger you must not face. Say you won't go back, sir."

"I can't," Harry said, trying to block the door. Maybe, if the elf couldn't get out, he wouldn't cause any issues for the brown-haired boy.

"Then Harry Potter leaves Dobby no choice."

In the blink of an eye, the elf disappeared. Harry furrowed his brow. Was Dobby giving up that easily? A pop resounded in the hall. Shoot, he'd forgotten about apparation. He opened the door and ran through the hall, galloping down the stairs, and skidding to a halt in the kitchen.

Aunt Petunia's masterpiece pudding was floating up near the ceiling, Dobby crouched on the top of the cupboard.

"No," Harry whispered. "Please, they'll kill me…"

"Harry Potter must say he's not going back to school."

"Dobby, please…

"Say it, sir—"

"I can't—"

"Then Dobby must do it, sir, for Harry Potter's own good." The elf snapped his fingers, dropping the cake on top of Vernon's guests before disapparating. Harry winced. Vernon turned bright blue, before advancing on them.

FPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFP

Draco stretched, slipping into his room before his father could call him. He'd just finished some chaser drills and was feeling pretty good about himself. He had no desire to pick up the conversation they'd had last night.

Conversation? Who was he kidding? It was a full out brawl. Dobby had to stop several Crucios from hitting the Gryffindor. Draco winced, rolling his head and rubbing his neck.

A pop echoed through the room.

"Master Draco, yous did not come to supper. Master Malfoy is very mad," Dobby said, holding out a silver platter of food.

Draco sighed and picked up an apple. "I'm sorry, Dobby. He didn't take it out on you, did he?"

The elf shrugged. "Master Draco shoulds not worry about little Dobby. Dobby is used to it. Little master should eat his food. Lets Dobby handle the bads Master Malfoy."

Dobby winced, and grabbed a nearby candelabra. He got in a few good whacks before Draco grabbed the golden trinket from him.

"No, Dobby. I order you to stop hurting yourself."

"But," the elf said, eyes widening, "buts I said bad things about Master Malfoy."

"I don't care," Draco said, grabbing his wand and healing a few of the cuts. "Here, sit down. It'll be easier for me to see the extent of your injuries that way."

The elf's lip trembled. Draco squeezed his eyes shut, knowing what was to come. Dobby wailed.

"Such a kind little master. It is so kind of yous to let Dobby sit down. Yous is just like the great Harry Potter."

Draco sighed. "Well, I don't know about that, but…" Silver eyes widened. "Wait, Dobby-how do you know Harry?"

The elf averted his eyes. The ceiling had a lovely stucco design. "Dobby is not knowing what little master is talking about."

"Dobby," Draco said under his breath. He walked over and grabbed his broom. "Dobby, did you go to see Harry?" The elf stared out the window. "Well?"

Dobby burst into tears again. "Dobby is only trying to help. Bad things will happen to the great Harry Potter if he is going back to school."

"Idiot. I told you not to go help him," the blond said with a sigh. He hopped on his broom. "Dobby, I'm going to check on Harry. I order you not to tell anyone I'm gone."

The elf nodded. "Dobby is understanding. Dobby will not tell Master Malfoy about little master."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Dobby." He pushed off, levitating. "Oh, and Dobby?" The elf's eyes widened. "Don't try to help Harry Potter anymore? Leave that to me."

Without looking back, Draco whizzed through the window and out into the cool night air.

FPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFP

Harry's eyes flew open as he heard a knock coming from the right. Shoot, was it his birthday already? He winced, turning to view the window. He was in no condition to deal with Weasleys or flying cars tonight. To his shock, there was no red hair in sight.

"Wow, you look like you went a few rounds with a hippogriff," Draco said once Harry'd gotten up and opened the window. Harry frowned. "What happened to you? Your uncle get 'frustrated' again?"

Harry grimaced."What are you doing here?"

"Dobby mentioned you and I got nervous. Dobby doesn't know the difference between helping and hurting." The blond shrugged. "Anyway, I'd have been here sooner, but it took me a bit to find you. I had to fly by all the windows. Why do you have bars over yours?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm a criminal, apparently. At least, that's what my aunt and uncle say. Didn't you know I'm going to St. Brutus' School for incurably criminal boys?"

Draco sighed. He pointed his wand at the bars and they disintegrated.

"Where are your things?" Draco asked as he climbed through the window.

Harry motioned toward the door. "They're in the cupboard under the stairs."

Draco whispered a quick _Alohomora_ and opened Harry's door. He scanned the ground, checking for any traps.

"What's with the cat flap?" Draco asked.

Harry shrugged. "How else would they get food to me?" Harry asked indifferently. He sighed. "Although, I'm still being punished, so it hasn't been used in a few days."

Draco scowled. He ran down the stairs and opened the cupboard door. He levitated Harry's trunk and was about to close it when he a flutter caught the corner of his eye.

The blond turned slightly. On the door was a yellow, crinkled sign. _Harry's Room_. Draco trembled, his face turning red. He stomped up the stairs, no longer afraid of waking anyone. He barged into Harry's room.

"They really did keep you in a _cupboard under the stairs_ ," Draco said, growling.

Harry cringed. "Shhh, do you want to wake up the whole household?"

"Let them hear. I want to have a few words with them anyway."

"Why do you care, anyway? It's not like you didn't know."

The blond sighed. "Hearing and seeing are two different things, Harry." He crossed his arms. "And I care because I'm your friend. Friends don't let friends sleep in cupboards."

Rumbling echoed through the hallway. The door slammed open, stopping any further conversation. Draco turned, coming face-to-face with what only could be described as a purple walrus. He turned to Harry, eyebrow quirked. The boy-who-lived paled and trembled.

"Freak, how many times have I told you to be quiet?" The walrus screamed. Harry's mouth bobbed, not knowing what words to let escape.

The portly man surveyed the room. He scowled at the disintegrated bars. "And what the hell did you do to your window, Freak? You'll pay for that."

Draco gritted his teeth. "He didn't do anything to your dumb window." He jutted his chin out. "I did."

"Who are you?" Harry's uncle asked, his voice trembling in barely controlled fury.

Draco squared his shoulders.

"I am heir Malfoy, scion of the great Lord Malfoy." The blond crossed his arms. "I have power you could only dream of-not just magical, but political, too-and I have training you could never imagine in both. I think _I_ should be the one asking _you_ who you are." Draco walked over and stuck a finger in the man's belly. "Who do you think you are, treating a better as though they were a slave?"

Vernon snorted. "Pfft, better? Look at the freak."

Draco scowled. "Harry Potter is the wizard who defeated the Dark Lord. You are only alive by his great mercy…" He glanced at the cowering Harry and his brow furrowed. "Or maybe his great stupidity. I can't decide which." He turned back to Vernon. "But that doesn't matter. What does matter is this great wizard has allowed you to breathe the same air as he and yet you have the audacity to treat him like some worthless house elf. If it were up to me, he would never return to this house again. As it is, I will do everything in my power to protect the great scion Potter from walruses like you."

Finished with his rant, Draco turned and shrunk Harry's trunk.

"What do you think you're doing?" Vernon asked, lunging for the blond.

"Taking my friend somewhere he's safe," Draco said as he grabbed Harry, grabbed Hedwig, and hopped onto his broom. "You will not be seeing Harry again if I have any say in it."

FPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFP

As the two wizards plodded along in the halls at the Manor, Draco slapped his forehead. He hadn't thought all this through. How could he ensure Harry's safety for one moment with his mother and father around?

The blond sighed, pulling a still shocked Harry into one of the guest bedrooms.

"Dobby?" he called, placing Harry on the bed. He grabbed Harry's arm, waving his wand to determine the extent of the boy's injuries.

"Yes, little master?" Dobby asked, popping in.

"I need you to heal Harry."

The elf's eyes widened. "Heal the great Harry Potter? It would be an honor…"

"Yes, yes," Draco said, rubbing his eyes. "Wonderful honor, amazing opportunity. Gush on him on your own time. I have to come up with some way to protect him from Mother and Father and you need to ensure there's no internal bleeding."

Draco stormed out, not bothering to reassure the distraught elf. He'd explain Harry's injuries to the maniac later.

The blond paced his bedroom. The only thing he could do was write his godfather. Hadn't Harry said something about Severus promising to protect Lily's only child? Maybe he could use that to garner the man's interest.

The next morning, Draco awoke and laid relaxed for a moment before he remembered the events of the previous night. He took a pillow and forcefully placed it over his face.

"What was I thinking?" He shook his head. "Oh, right, I wasn't. Stupid Gryffindor traits bleeding through."

The blond sighed and got out of bed. He walked over to Harry's room and knocked on the door, hoping that Harry hadn't gone wandering. He wrapped Harry in a big hug when the boy answered.

"Draco, last time I was saved, I was taken to a place where I knew no one wanted to _kill_ me," Harry said him as he maneuvered the both of them over to the bed.

"I have a plan in place. I promise."

Harry sighed. "Okay, I'll trust you." He shook his head. "But I can't use my wand to defend myself."

"Little master?" Dobby called, popping into view.

Both boys glared at him.

"Dobby, why are you here?" Draco asked the scared little house elf.

"Oh, I is giving a message to little master. Mister Severus Snape is being here to talk to young master."

Draco gulped.

Harry's mouth dropped, his eyes widening. " _That's_ your plan?"

Draco shrugged sheepishly. "It sounded like a good plan at the time."

Harry sighed. "Come on, let's go see the greasy bat."

Draco's brow furrowed. "Didn't _he_ give you your beloved photo album?"

Harry blushed, averting his eyes. "Not the first time." He mumbled under his breath. "Besides, he's still greasy."

Draco sighed and rolled his eyes as he helped Harry to his feet. They walked down numerous corridors until they came to the guest living room. Draco stopped Harry for a second.

"Just remember: Uncle Sev will protect you if he must, but it would be best if you keep your mouth shut."

Harry nodded and squared his shoulders. Draco opened the door.

The sight they found beyond the doors was almost comical. Professor Snape was glaring at both of them, arms crossed. Lucius' mouth was ajar. Narcissa's brows had disappeared behind her bangs.

"Draconis Lucius Malfoy. What in the name of Salazar is that _boy_ doing in our house?" Lucius asked, snarling.

Severus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I-I-I…" Draco stopped.

There wasn't really a safe answer to his father's question. If he told his parents that Harry's uncle and aunt were abusive, they could use it against the child. They might even sue for custody so that they could have control over the Boy-Who-Lived. However, his parents would scorn any other explanation. It would come with heavy punishments.

" _Dumbledore_ told me I had to fetch the boy, for whatever reason he may have. I told Draco I was planning on getting him today, and he must have taken the liberty of doing it for me. Since it was a task that was more pleasurable for him than for me, I must say I thank him," Severus said. Draco smiled in gratitude, but the look on his godfather's face told him that they would be talking about this sometime later. "However, I must take Mister Potter back with me."

Draco frowned. This wasn't going to end well, but at least Harry was safer with Severus than he was with the Malfoys or Dursleys. Harry glared at his friend. The blond shrugged and went to grab his things. He handed Harry the shrunken trunk and Hedgwig's cage, as well as his broom.

"At least I know you'll come back to school alive," Draco said weakly.

Harry sighed. "We can hope."

"Didn't you tell Mione and me that you had a nice talk with Professor Snape. What happened to that?" Draco asked him, arms crossed.

"Well, he still thinks of me as James Potter. Perhaps I should get my eyes fixed so my glasses aren't hiding them."

"Give him a chance. He did still give you that photo album."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, and I do respect him. It's just hard to let go of some of the things he said last time."

Severus stood in the front entrance, foot tapping impatiently. "Well, we best be leaving. Come along, Mister Potter."

Harry nodded obediently, heading toward the door.

Before they left, Severus grabbed Draco's arm. "We will talk about this when you arrive at Hogwarts."

Draco nodded in agreement. Boy, did he have a story to tell his uncle.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: All familiar content comes from _The Chamber of Secrets_ pp. 60-63.

Living at Spinner's End and Diagon Alley

Professor Snape side-along _apparated_ Harry to Spinner's End.

"Of all the idiotic, stupid, Gryffindor things he could have done, he chose to save the _great_ Harry Potter," he mumbled, letting go of the boy.

Harry sighed. "I'm not that great," he whispered to himself.

Professor Snape paused, letting the boy walk ahead of him. Had he heard right? Probably not. The potions master shook his head and continued on.

"While you are here, there will be a few rules you must follow," the professor said. "First, you will keep your room clean here. I will not have you living in some pigsty."

Harry smirked. "You mean, like the Gryffindor common room?"

Professor Snape rolled his eyes, but refrained from commenting.

"Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served promptly at 8, 12, and 5, respectively. If you don't arrive on time you won't eat." The boy's smile dropped. "You should know I spend the majority of my summers restocking Pomphrey's potions cabinet. Therefore, I will be in my potions lab all day, every day. This means you won't disturb me unless your life is in mortal peril."

Harry nodded in understanding. Professor Snape showed him to the guest bedroom. Harry placed his trunk, Hedgwig's cage, and his broom next to the bed.

"Thank you, Professor." He paused for a moment and turned to the older man. "Professor Snape, is this the house you grew up in?"

The potions master quirked his brow. "Why do you ask, Mister Potter?"

Harry shrugged. "Well, I was just thinking, if this was the place you grew up in, then my mum's childhood home wouldn't be too far away. I thought maybe I could go see it sometime."

Professor Snape stood in the doorway, eyes narrowed.

"Perhaps," Professor Snape finally agreed. Harry smiled. Professor Snape resized his trunk and turned to leave.

The boy took out his prized photo album and continued looking at the pictures. He stopped at one of Sirius, James, and Remus.

"Soon, Sirius. Soon."

The next weeks passed uneventfully. Harry completed homework. Professor Snape experimented on potions. Life was good.

One day, Harry sauntered over to the breakfast table to find Professor Snape glaring at his coffee mug.

"Is everything alright, sir?" Harry asked cautiously, sitting down slowly. He nibbled on his lip. "Did I do something wrong?"

The potions master's grip on his coffee mug tightened. "No," he said through gritted teeth.

"I don't understand," Harry said, brow furrowing. "Why are you upset?"

"You've done nothing wrong," Professor Snape said, his voice rising along with his body. "That's just it."

"Okay?"

"You should have dropped the act by now. We're three weeks in. You can't act this well-behaved all the time."

"I can't?" Harry asked, his brow creasing further.

The professor shook his head. "Never mind that." He gathered up his mug and plate and washed them. "We're going to Diagon Alley today."

Green eyes brightened. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Professor Snape said, scowling. "You didn't think I'd let you go to school without proper supplies, did you?"

Harry shook his head, smiling. "Will Dragon be there?"

The potions master sighed, rubbing his eyes. "For a bit; though I am loathe to bring you somewhere I know death eaters will linger."

Harry smirked. There wasn't really a need for the pretense of asking what a death eater was. Though, it would be fun to watch the man flounder for a few minutes. How would Professor Snape explain death eaters without implicating himself?

"So, I'll floo there and let you know when I'm done?"

Professor Snape shook his head. "Merlin, no. The headmaster would have my head." He scowled. "I'll be accompanying you."

Harry groaned. Why would Professor Snape want to go shopping with him? It would cause more problems than it solved, that was sure.

When they arrived at Diagon Alley, they headed straight for Gringotts. The novelty of entering the goblin bank never wore off on Harry, and he didn't have to act like a twelve-year-old in this moment. His eyes darted to and fro, trying to catch any new details, or see any old faces.

"Ah, Mr. Potter," Griphook said, setting down his quill.

"Mr. Griphook, it's lovely to see you again," Harry said, holding out his hand. The goblin stared at it for a moment, then glanced over at Severus Snape. The dark man smirked and quirked a brow.

The goblin shrugged and took the boy's hand. "The pleasure is mine, Mr. Potter. And it is just Griphook."

"Then it's just Harry," the boy said, green eyes sparkling.

Professor Snape crossed his arms. "Shall we get on with it? We have a lot to get for school and I would like to finish before your first day of classes."

Harry smiled and nodded. They proceeded down into the vaults.

"Griphook," Harry said, holding onto the cart. "I overheard someone say something along the lines of the Potters being an ancient and noble house…"

Severus snorted. "Did that someone have blond hair and a pompous disposition?"

Harry smirked. "Maybe it was Draco. Either way, they said I was bound to be the head of Potter house. Do you know what that means?"

Griphook peeked over at Professor Snape out of the corner of his eye. The man rolled his eyes.

"Give him a basic understanding; I will get into the specifics at a later point."

The goblin nodded. "Simply put, it means just that. When you turn 17, you will become lord of the ancient and noble house of Potter. You will hold a seat in the house of lords-both magical and muggle-as well as manage your household and finances." The cart stopped in front of Harry's vault, but the goblin continued. "You will be expected to attend any and all social gatherings held by other lords, unless you are absolutely unavailable. Most expect you to marry high on the social ladder-nothing less than a pureblood witch in most circles."

"My dad didn't," Harry said as he opened the vault.

Griphook shrugged. "I said most circles. Some wizards have enough clout and sway that they can get away with lesser blood."

Harry peeked over at his professor. The man visibly bit down on his tongue and avoided the goblin's gaze.

"My mother wasn't lesser blood," Harry said as he grabbed some galleons.

"Most wizards would consider…"

"Blast it all, creature. Stop talking of the boy's mother as if she were filth," Severus said, his eyes blazing. "You are not here to give social commentary on blood purity. You're here to allow us access into the boy's vaults and guide us back out." The man scanned the vault. "Where's the rest of it?"

"The rest of what?" Harry asked, brow furrowed in authentic curiosity.

Severus turned to the goblin. "There is no way this is all of it."

"Of course it's not," Griphook said, also ignoring the boy. "This is his trust vault."

"Trust vault?" Harry asked, brow quirked.

Severus rolled his eyes. "A fancy term for an allowance." He turned to the boy. "It's supposed to be for sweets, presents, anything else your little heart desires."

Harry nodded, chewing his lip. That's not what he had used it before last time. Why hadn't anyone told him? Had he succeeded in destroying Voldemort, he would have went on his merry way, never knowing how much money he actually had.

"What other vaults do I have?" the boy asked, looking the goblin in the eye.

"The exact amount will take awhile to calculate…"

"Do it," Severus said, arms crossed. "I heard what you tried to do when the Malfoys were fined after the first war. Your kind will not syphon money out of Lily Potter's son's account. Understood?"

The goblin grunted and turned back to the cart.

Once outside Gringotts, Harry turned to his professor.

"Professor Snape, did you just defend me in there?"

Severus sighed, staring up at the sky. "Merlin, forbid…" He glanced at the boy. "I simply cannot let Lily Potter's legacy be reduced to a small stack of galleons."

Harry grimaced. "Are you saying my mother's legacy is that she married well?"

"No," Severus said as he walked toward the apothecary. He stopped. "Though, she did succeed in marrying well financially."

"Just financially?"

"Don't push it," Severus growled, continuing his trek. "For better or worse, you are her legacy, and I can't sit idly by and watch others take advantage of you."

They entered the apothecary and Severus walked straight to the herbs section. Harry grabbed a basket and began filling it with items from his second year list. Quickly, though, he found other things added to his collection.

"Why would I need that, Professor?" Harry asked cautiously, holding up a jar Severus had slipped into the basket.

"It may or may not be the secret ingredient in one of your potions that will help you get a better grade," Professor Snape said, not turning to look at the boy.

Harry smirked. Potions was more enjoyable without someone breathing down his neck. He even managed to keep an O in potions all last year. At the rate he was going, he could probably become a potions master.

The boy-who-lived froze. He never once considered that there was any other job out there for him other than auror. People expected it from him, and he sort of expected it for himself, when all he thought he was good for was defeating dark wizards.

But there was a plethora of other careers for him to choose from. For example, he could become a potions professor, or a DADA teacher, like Remus. Harry shook his head. Why hadn't anyone told him sooner?

"Oof." Harry bumped into an unmoving form, falling to the ground with a thud.

"Harry!" Ron exclaimed in greeting. "How are you? Did you get my letters? I never got a reply."

Harry struggled not to glare at the redhead as he looked up from his position on the ground.

"A house elf was stealing my mail. I couldn't receive anything. Draco had to come and get me," Harry said. He smiled when the twins ran over and helped him to his feet.

Ron's eyes widened and his mouth dropped.

"Mate," he whispered, "the slimy git is right behind you. Don't look now."

The boy-who-lived quirked a brow and turned around. Professor Snape stood five feet away, much closer than he had been a few moments ago. The man averted his gaze, suddenly very interested in the brick outlay of the nearest building.

Harry rolled his eyes. "He's not a git," he said, projecting his voice.

"Who's not a git?" Professor Snape asked. He turned and weeded his way through the crowd toward the small group.

Ron gulped. "I…I think I hear my mum calling me, Harry. I'll see you on the train. Bye." He fled, nearly knocking over several patrons at Fortescue's. "C'mon Fred, George."

"It's nothing, sir," Harry said, shaking his head once the twins ran off. "Ron's just being a prat, as always."

"Harry," a voice called out from the crowd. Before Harry knew what was going on, he had a mouthful of bushy hair and a Hermione clinging around his neck. He hugged her back.

"Hi Hermione," Harry greeted.

"How was your summer? Did Ron come and save you again this year?"

Harry shook his head. "Thankfully, no."

Professor Snape laid a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"I am going to the Leaky Cauldron. Find me when you are done, Mister Potter," the potions master said. Harry nodded his head in understanding.

"Harry, did Professor Snape save you?" Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged.

"In a way, yes, but no. Draco came to save me from the Dursleys. Snape came to save me from the Malfoys."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Nothing's ever simple with you, Harry Potter."

The boy smiled and opened the door to Flourish and Blott's for his friend. As soon as they entered, Harry sighed. He had forgotten about the signing. He looked up and imagined Fate and Time looking back at him.

"Was this _really_ necessary?"

"Come on. Let's hurry up and leave before…"

"Harry Potter." Lockhart walked through the crowd, which parted for him.

Harry flinched and hid behind Hermione. She sighed. She turned around and with a mouthed "sorry", pushed Harry toward the man.

Gilderoy grabbed onto Harry's hand and shook it vigorously. "Nice big smile, Harry. Together you and I are worth the front page."

The boy rolled his eyes as cameras flashed. The self-important idiot smiled wider.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the man started.

"Wait," the green eyed boy said, brow furrowing. "Isn't it only proper to introduce yourself when you first meet someone?"

Lockhart's lips dropped. "Why, Mr. Potter, you can't possibly not know who I am."

Harry shrugged. "I truly don't." He pointed to the poster. "Is that a book you wrote?"

"Yes, it is. _Magical Me_ ," the man smiled once more.

"Ah, I see now," Harry said, smirking. "You have to understand, I don't read fiction."

The man's face fell, but he quickly recovered. "You've got quite the sense of humor, Mr. Potter. I'm sure I'll get to enjoy that more in the future."

Lockhart turned to the crowd. "This actually is the perfect moment to make a little announcement I've been sitting on.

"When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography-"

"Didn't I just say I don't know you from Adam?" Harry said, a brow quirked.

"Oh, but please, Harry, let me finish." Lockhart's eyes flickered momentarily. "Where was I? Yes, he only wanted to buy my autobiography-which I shall be happy to present to him now, free of charge. He had no idea that he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book. He and his schoolmates will, in fact, be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts."

He let go of Harry's shoulder, and the boy dashed to the safety of the outer ring of fans. He gave the free books to Ginny.

"I'll buy my own-" Harry mumbled.

"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" Nott asked, nose wrinkling.

"I know I did," another voice said behind him.

Harry turned to see a shock of blond hair. "Draco!" He engulfed the boy in a hug.

Draco smiled. "Hey Scarhead." They broke apart and Hermione replaced Harry in Draco's arms. The blond smirked. " _Famous_ Harry Potter. Can't even go to a _book signing_ without making the front page."

Nott scowled. "Hey, I was going to say that."

"I know," the blond mumbled under his breath. He straightened. "Beat you to it." He stuck his tongue out at the boy.

"Draconus Lucius Malfoy," Lucius said, his voice stiff. The blond boy straightened, eyes widening. "Did I see you do something so undignified as stick your tongue out?"

"Sorry, sir," Draco said, staring at the ground.

Lucius turned to Harry. "Mr. Potter, enjoy your time in the spotlight, did you?"

"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that," said Ginny, coming up behind Hermione.

The curly haired girl sighed, rubbing her eyes. She mouthed along as Nott sneered.

"Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" the Slytherin said.

"Oh, it's you," Ron said, stepping up next to his sister. He sneered at Nott. "Bet you're surprised to see Harry here."

Draco smirked at Hermione, taking up the post of the group mouther.

"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley," Nott said, his eyes so focused on the red haired boy he didn't notice the blond mocking him. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those."

Both redheads blushed. Draco sighed.

"Back off, Nott." The blond shook his head. "It's not their fault the ministry pays next to nothing."

Lucius glared at his son. Before he could say a word, Mr. Weasley appeared.

"Ron," he said, "what are you doing? It's too crowded in here…"

"Let's go outside," Hermione said, beating him to the point.

"Well, well, well-Arthur Weasley," Lucius said as they walked out. The older redhead sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Lucius."

"Busy time at the ministry, I hear," Mr. Malfoy said. "All those raids...I hope they're paying you overtime."

Harry huffed. "What's it to you?" He crossed his arms. "Don't you know it's rude to talk about someone's paycheck?"

Lucius ignored him, choosing to grab one of Ginny's books from her cauldron.

"Obviously not," he continued. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"

Mr. Weasley glared, his face reddening. "We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy."

"Clearly," Lucius scanned the alley.

Harry's brow creased.

"Where's your parents, Mione?" he asked, turning to the girl.

She shrugged. "Didn't see the need for them to be here for Malfoy to demean."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Distance doesn't diminish his capacity to critique your blood status."

A clink brought the trio back to the present scene. Mr. Weasley was currently on top of Mr. Malfoy. The blond man used his wand to beat the redhead, but the latter did not care. He put his hands around the death eater's throat, ready to squeeze.

"What in Merlin's name is going on here?" a dark voice asked. All turned to find Severus wading through the crowd, glaring at the two men. He grabbed Mr. Weasley and pulled him off Lucius. "Truly, Arthur, you know better."

Mr. Weasley huffed and dusted himself off. "Come children. It's time to go."

Harry watched Lucius slip something into Ginny's cauldron before she picked it back up. He sighed. He quirked an eyebrow at Hermione, looking back where the diary was. She shook her head fervently.

Lucius brushed himself off. "Draconus, we're leaving."

Harry looked apologetically at Draco. The boy shrugged.

"I'll see you soon, Harry," Draco said. Harry nodded.

"Oh, Harry, I better go, too. See you on the train," Hermione said as she turned and left.

Harry sighed again, watching his friends disappear into the crowd. He jumped when he felt something tap his arm. He turned to find Ginny standing there, eyes wide.

"Yes?" he asked, a brow quirked.

"Are you really Harry Potter?"

He smiled. "Yeah, I am." He placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Thank you for defending me. Ginny, was it?"

Ginny grinned from ear to ear, blushing and nodding her head exuberantly.

"I better get going myself." Harry turned to Mrs. Weasley. "By the way, thank you for the Christmas present. I'm sorry I didn't get around to thanking you before. Things just got so busy, it must have slipped my mind."

Mrs. Weasley nodded in understanding. "It's alright, Harry dear. Ron told me about the exciting time you all had. I really appreciate you taking our little Ronnie under your wing."

Harry's mouth dropped and his eyes widened. "He said that?"

"Yes, he told us all about your adventures last year. Did he really knock out that troll?" Harry's brow furrowed. "Well, we appreciate your being his friend. Sometimes, we worry about him."

"Of course," Harry lied. He glanced at his watch. "I better go. My guardian has a potion brewing." The Weasleys said their goodbyes and Harry ran off toward the Leaky Cauldron. He really couldn't wait until he was back at Hogwarts with his friends-and Ronald, apparently.


	15. Chapter 15

The Barrier is Closed

"I don't need to impress upon you further the necessity of keeping Harry Potter alive and well?" Severus asked, placing Hedwig's cage on the side table in the Malfoy living room.

"Yes, Severus," Lucius said, rolling his eyes.

"It's not like I want the brat to live…"

"But you have to keep up appearances."

Severus smirked, catching his godson's eye. Of course, Draco wasn't supposed to be eavesdropping-he was tasked early on with getting Harry settled in-but the potions master knew the boys could not be kept away for long.

"Exactly." Severus crossed his arms. "Dumbledore demanded proof of life once every day."

Lucius quirked a brow. "He knows the boy's here?"

Harry and Draco caught each other's eye. Draco's brow creased. That wasn't part of the plan.

"Obviously," Severus said, rolling his eyes, "he knew the boy was with me. The fact I'm not bringing him to Hogwarts-where else would I leave him?"

"The Weasleys?"

"You would dare to suggest…?"

Lucius smiled. "I promise not to kill the boy, if only so your cover with Dumbledore isn't blown."

Severus glanced behind the blond, catching the eye of both boys.

"I'll leave you be. Please have Mr. Potter owl me once a day."

With that, the floo flared. The boys quickly ran to Draco's room, deciding to finish up some revisions on their summer work.

"You might want to add a note about changing stirring patterns here." Draco pointed with a feather quill to a short paragraph near the top of the page. The blond handed over the DADA essay he was writing.

"You should add something about the side effects of _Rictumsempra_ here. I mean, it's fine to use it in an attack, but you should mention any extra consequences of the long-term use of the spell." Harry shrugged. "I'm not sure why you're fretting about DADA this year. Lockhart won't care much about your essay. Just remember his favorite color is lilac and you'll do fine."

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Going to school is about more than just getting grades, Harry. School is where you learn how to learn for the rest of your life. You need to do your best on all your assignments, no matter who the teacher is or what they want. Put your best effort out, and then the teacher will have no leg to stand on when you go to the headmaster about your unfair grade."

"Did you go to the headmaster about your unfair grades?" Harry asked.

"Once or twice. It wasn't right Granger was getting better grades than me," Draco whined as he looked back down at his essay.

Harry giggled and rolled his eyes.

"Perhaps she's smarter than you. Maybe that's why you like her." Green eyes sparkled. "Your kids won't have a chance at slacking off in school."

"Please, she is not smarter than me. Okay, she's smart, really smart. Perhaps we're at the same level." Draco shoved Harry. "And don't talk about our children."

"So, you admit there will be children?"

"Shut up, scarhead."

"Whatever you say, Ferret Face," Harry said, returning to his potions essay. He scowled. "You had a crush on Hermione, right?"

The blond rolled his eyes. "Yes…"

"But you seemed pretty into Pansy Parkinson…"

"Scarhead, listen," Draco said, sighing and rubbing his eyes. "I was into Pansy for two reasons: one, it was expected of me-we currently have an arranged marriage-and two, she was dosing me with love potions."

"She was?"

The ex-Slytherin nodded. "Found out seventh year." He turned back to his parchment. "Now shut up and let me finish my essay."

Several days later, Lucius Malfoy brought Harry and Draco to the entrance of King's Cross. He promptly left after telling Draco not to embarrass the Malfoy name any further. As soon as he was out of earshot, Draco started mocking his father.

"Don't embarrass the family name, Draco. I mean, I did when I admitted to being _Imperiused_ in court. My father did when he entrusted his family to the Dark Lord. But you, Draco, must be perfect."

Harry sighed.

Before they had a chance to enter the barrier, they saw the Weasleys come running up to them.

"Did we make it?" Percy asked his father.

Mr. Weasley nodded.

"I think so." He turned to Ginny and Mrs. Weasley. "How about you two go first?"

Harry and Draco shuffled out of the way and politely let Mrs. Weasley and Ginny through. After them, Percy took Fred and got him through the barrier. Mr. Weasley grabbed George, running onto the platform. Harry's brow furrowed. Somehow, they'd conveniently forgotten Ron. He shrugged. If it were him, he'd try to forget Ron, too.

"Shall we go in?" Harry asked.

Ron and Draco nodded. Harry motioned for Ron to go first. Ron took a few steps back and then ran into the barrier. He bounced onto his bum.

Draco's brow creased. "Huh, that's weird."

Harry sighed. "Dobby."

"You mean, Dobby did this?" the blond whispered. Harry nodded. "Then, maybe we should call him and have him take this off."

"I don't have time to argue with a delusional house elf," Harry hissed in Draco's ear.

"It's closed," Ron said, rubbing his bum.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Harry said under his breath.

Draco snickered.

"What should we do?" the blond asked.

Ron smiled, eyes sparkling. "We could take my dad's car. It flies."

"No!" Harry shouted quickly.

Both Draco and Ron's mouths dropped.

"I know it's a bad idea, Harry, but you don't have to negate it so enthusiastically," the blond said.

"Thanks a lot, Malfoy," Ron said, arms crossed.

"It is dumb idea, Weasley. What if we get caught by muggles? What if we crash and die?"

The redhead huffed. "Well, _I'm_ gonna take my dad's car. I don't know what _you two_ are going to do." He quirked a brow. "Although, Harry, you're always welcome to come along."

The boy in question shook his head.

"No, thank you. Draco and I will find our own way there."

Draco sighed in relief. Harry must have a plan. And anything was better than a flying car.

Once Ron left, Harry turned to Draco.

"The Knight Bus?"

"The Knight Bus?" The blond was wrong. The flying car was a better idea.

Harry shrugged. "It worked before." He stuck out his wand, and a purple bus appeared.

Harry embarked, looking expectantly at his blond friend.

Draco sighed. "The things I do for Harry Potter."

"Name?" the conductor asked. The young girl was a lot nicer than Stan, and prettier.

"Uhm, Vincent Crabbe," Harry said, nibbling his lower lip.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Fine, and Gregory Goyle."

Apparently, the female conductor was also much more gullible. She smiled and let them on.

"Crabbe? Goyle? Seriously?" the blond asked as the took their seats.

Harry shrugged. "Last time, I said I was Neville."

"Alright, new rule. I come up with the plans from now on-"

"Harry?" a voice asked.

The boy turned to find Remus Lupin staring at him only a seat or two away. The man had bags under his eyes and seemed a little out of it, but it was the best sight in the world to Harry.

"Remus," the boy said, eyes sparkling. He jumped up to go hug the man.

Remus's eyes narrowed.

"You…You remember me? You were barely a year old."

Harry shook his head. He was an idiot.

"I…I saw a…a picture of you and…and my father in a photo album one of my…m-mom's friends…uh, made for me."

Draco facepalmed. He would need to teach Harry how to lie.

"Oh, you mean Severus Snape?" Remus asked, nodding. "He asked me for a couple of photos of James. I was confused, but then he said it was for you. So, of course, I gave him the photos willingly." He paused for a moment. "Shouldn't you be on the train to Hogwarts?"

Harry froze, eyes widening.

"We should be," Draco said under his breath. The blond stepped forward. "Hi, I'm Draco…uh, Draco Malfoy."

"As in Lucius Malfoy?" Remus asked, brow quirked.

"Yes, Draco was sorted into Gryffindor and is one of my best friends," Harry said quickly.

Remus nodded knowingly. It was Sirius all over again.

"How are you, Harry?" the lycanthrope asked him, sitting down next to the boys. "There have been so many times I went to the Headmaster asking where you were so I could check in on you. He always said you were fine."

"You went to Dumbledore to check on me?" Harry asked, voice rising. How had he never known that before?

"Yes, every year, on your birthday."

Harry averted his eyes and played with his hands.

"Oh, I never knew, sir."

Remus smiled.

"There's no need to call me _sir_ , Harry. I'm not your professor." Draco bit his lip hard to keep from laughing. "So, what are you doing on the Knight Bus instead of on the Hogwarts Express?"

"Someone accidently closed the barrier before all of us kids were on the train. One of the three of us decided to take a flying car to school. We chose the Knight Bus," Draco explained, huffing a little under his breath at the last part.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked.

Remus scanned the bus suspiciously.

"I've been called to the ministry for something."

Harry's eyes narrowed, but he nodded knowingly.

"Why did you take the Knight Bus, then? You're a fully trained wizard. You could have just _Apparated_ yourself to the ministry," Draco said, brow furrowed.

Remus's eyes glanced at the ceiling. "I like the Knight Bus. You get to see a lot more scenery."

Harry elbowed Draco in the ribs. The blond was tactless. It must be close to a full moon, since Remus looked so tired.

Remus smiled. "I know you must have heard this a million times, but you do look like James."

Harry nodded. "With my mother's eyes?"

The Knight Bus stopped and Remus stood up.

"Well, this is my stop. Perhaps you wouldn't mind me writing to you, Harry?"

"Of course."

"Goodbye, Harry. Draco."

Harry was still smiling as the Knight Bus drove off. Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad after all.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Don't own it.

The Sorting

Eventually, the Knight Bus arrived at their stop. They grabbed Hedwig's cage and their brooms before they filed out into Hogsmeade. They started walking up towards Hogwarts. The sun shone brightly. They were much too early.

They trudged into the Great Hall and sat on their trunks, catching their breath. It was, after all, a long trek from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts. They jumped, gasping, when the hall doors flew open. Professor Snape marched in, glaring at the boys.

"How, might I ask, did the two of you manage to get here two hours early?"

Harry scrunched his nose in worry and Draco averted his eyes. The blond was already in trouble for the rescue fiasco. He searched for the Gryffindor courage he was sure must be buried there somewhere before he answered.

"Dobby, for some reason, thought it would be hilarious to close the barrier to the King's Cross station. Weasley, Harry, and I were stuck on the muggle side of the station and couldn't make it to the train on time. Weasley had the bright idea to take his father's flying car. He should be here before the end of the year, if he doesn't get lost. Harry and I-on the other hand-took the Knight Bus."

Severus scowled.

"You went on the Knight Bus by yourselves?" Severus snarled. "Do you realize how dangerous that is?"

"Well, technically, not by ourselves. Remus was there for a time," Harry said, smirking.

Severus rolled his eyes.

"Of course, Lupin. Why am I not surprised?" He rubbed his eyes and sighed. "Well, you best get along to Gryffindor Tower to unpack your things. You will still be expected to arrive at the feast in a timely manner."

Harry and Draco nodded, grabbed their things, and went to the tower.

As they began to unpack, Harry's eyes widened. He smiled.

"Hey, this will be the year Luna arrives at Hogwarts."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Do you mean Loony Lovegood?"

Harry scowled at him. "Don't call her that. She's a nice person, and a good friend."

The blond shrugged, putting another shirt in his dresser. He glanced at his watch. "Come on, Hermione will be here soon. We have to fill her in on what happened."

They scampered down to the Great Hall just as the doors opened and a horde of students rushed in. They scanned the crowd until they saw Hermione's unmistakable bushy hair. When she caught sight of them, she stomped over.

"What did you think you were doing?" She slapped both her friends on the arm. "I was worried sick. I didn't know where you were or if you had gone with Ron in the deathtrap of a car."

Draco threw his hands up in surrender. "We're sorry. We got caught up in trying to find transportation to Hogsmeade. It wasn't like we could get an owl to you on the train." He furrowed his brow. "Maybe we need an easier way to communicate with you other than owls."

Hermione huffed.

"That would be great. It would have solved the problem of me not knowing what happened during the summer." Hermione's eyes narrowed. "What we need is a telephone."

"What's a felly-tone?" Draco asked, brow creased.

Harry stifled a giggle. "A _telephone_ is a thing muggles use for instant communication."

Silver eyes widened. "They can actually do that?"

Harry and Hermione nodded in unison.

"Hermione, you already made something like that in fifth year, remember?" Harry asked.

"You mean, the galleons?" Hermione asked, brow furrowed.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, except, not as easy to lose."

"Like, a galleon tied to your wrist?"

"Way to think outside of yet completely squished against the box, Granger," Draco said, sitting down at the Gryffindor table.

She huffed. "But it still needs to be different than the DA coins. Those only told people the dates and times of the club meetings. These would need to act like walkie-talkies."

Harry put some food on his plate.

"There, there's your project this year. I mean, since we don't have to go wandering around the library looking for a beast that can petrify people."

Hermione smiled.

"Yes, and this time we don't have to steal from Professor Snape to make Polyjuice." She grabbed a spoon and placed more potatoes on Harry's plate.

Draco stared at them, brow furrowing. "When did the two of you make Polyjuice?"

Harry glared at Hermione as she spooned some more corn into a dish and set it before him. He turned to the blond.

"Remember the time Crabbe and Goyle were acting really strange on Christmas?"

"Which Christmas?"

Harry's eyes widened incredulously. "There was more than one Christmas when those two acted off?"

"There was rarely a day those two idiots weren't doing something strange. I hardly kept detailed notes."

"When did Crabbe ever need glasses?"

"That was you?" Draco almost shouted. "I always thought they were acting weird because they ate too much. Which, now that I think about it, doesn't make sense since they're a pair of bottomless empty pits."

Hermione shushed them. "The sorting is about to begin."

"Oh, good, we'll actually get to see Luna's sorting this time around," Harry said, smiling.

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Luna this, Luna that. Everything's about Luna. What's that all about?"

Hermione snickered. "He's had a crush on her since fifth year."

"I have not," Harry said, placing hands on hips.

Hermione mouthed, "Have too" over his head toward Draco. He snickered.

Once the sorting was complete and Luna, Colin, and Ginny had all been placed in their houses (Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Gryffindor respectively), the feast began.

Harry stared off into the crowd of Ravenclaws. "We should invite Luna into our group," he said in-between mouthfuls of food.

Draco smirked. "And what? Tell her we're time travelers?" Harry smiled, eyes sparkling. The blond cocked his head. Was Potter totally mad? "No, Harry."

"Why not? She'll believe us." Harry's brow creased. "I'll be surprised if she didn't somehow already know. She has a weird, uncanny ability for that sort of thing." He crossed his arms. "Besides, no one would believe her if she told them the truth."

"Yes, but it's not necessary she knows. You know what Fate and Time said. We can't tell someone unless it's crucial." The blond furrowed his brow. "You just want to tell her because you want to date her."

Harry huffed.

"I do not have a crush on Luna, Draco. I want to tell her because she'll be important to us in the future. She's a brilliant witch, if not a little loopy. We need her."

"Maybe," Hermione said, shrugging, "but that doesn't mean we need to talk to her about it right now." She put up a hand, stalling further argument. "I think we should take at least a few weeks and think about it. I agree she is a brilliant witch and she'll be important to us in the future. However, we can't make decisions based off of impulses. We did that last time and look where it got us."

Harry sighed, but nodded.

"That doesn't mean I can't befriend her, does it?"

Hermione shrugged.

"Of course not. Go make friends." She waved the boy off.

Harry smiled and ran over to the Ravenclaw table.

Draco's brow furrowed. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"She was picked on a lot until she became our friend. Maybe she'll have a better experience if she's close friends with the great Harry Potter."

After dinner, Harry, Draco, and Hermione raced to the Gryffindor common room. Hermione began her research on communicators and Harry read over his potions essay one more time. Draco played around with his wand.

A great crash echoed outside. Everyone in the common room jumped to their feet and ran toward the window, searching for the cause of the disruption. Harry and Hermione looked at one another, shaking their heads. The boy-who-lived ran up to his room and grabbed his invisibility cloak. He snuck out of Gryffindor tower.

What was Ron thinking, really? Driving a flying muggle contraption through England? Idiot. Nevermind the fact he'd gone with the fool last time around.

Harry arrived just in time to hear Snape begin his rant.

"Of all the stupid, ignorant, Gryffindor things you could have done, you took a flying car and drove it all throughout muggle London?" Professor Snape growled. Ron flinched at each word uttered.

The redhead crossed his arms, his face matching his hair.

"But the barrier was closed! How was I supposed to get here without taking my dad's car?"

"That, Mr. Weasley, is exactly the question you will be answering in essays for the next few weeks you have detention with me."

Ron moaned.

"But you're not my head of house," he said, eyes widening and chin jutting out.

"You're right, Mr. Weasley," Professor McGonagall said, marching over to the willow, "but I agree with Professor Snape. You will be spending the next three weeks in nightly detention with your potions professor answering the question, 'What could I have done other than steal my father's flying muggle car and drive it all the way to Hogwarts?' If you finish that five foot scroll early, I am sure Professor Snape would gladly give you some other tasks for you to complete, as well."

Ron opened his mouth, prepared to plead his case. Both professors glared at him, crossing their arms over their chests. He sighed, nodding his head in understanding. His shoulders slumped, he walked off toward Hogwarts and his common room. Harry smirked. At least he was not stuck with Professor Lockhart this time around.


	17. Chapter 17

A Talk with Uncle Sev

 _"RONALD WEASLEY! HOW_ DARE _YOU STEAL THAT CAR!" said Mrs. Weasley's howler._

Draco smirked. He'd told Weasley how bad an idea it was to take that death trap.

 _"I AM ABSOLUTELY_ DISGUSTED! _YOUR FATHER'S NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK AND IT'S_ ENTIRELY _YOUR FAULT! IF YOU PUT_ ANOTHER _TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT_ HOME! _"_

"I wish she made good on that threat," Hermione said, turning a page in her book.

"What I'd like to know is what Weasley's dad was doing with an enchanted muggle car in the first place," the blond boy said, watching as the post owls swooped down, dropping the rest of the mail. He picked up an envelope addressed to him.

 _Draco,_

 _Come to my office after class. We have a long overdue conversation that must take place._

 _Severus_

Draco smirked. If the situation weren't so grave, Draco might've laughed at the stereotypical brevity of his godfather's note.

The ex-Slytherin shook his head. Harry's situation was bad. But he'd made a promise not to tell anyone anything. Stupid Gryffindors, having no concept of self-preservation.

Harry was his friend. Was it more important to have a live friend who trusted you a little less, or keep your promise and chance the death of someone you cared about? Draco rolled his eyes. He never had to have this much compassion and empathy with Crabbe and Goyle.

Should he tell Uncle Sev the truth about what happened in the Dursley home? He nodded, knocking on the door. Harry deserved a good life, and if he wasn't willing to advocate for himself, Draco would just have to do it for him.

"Enter," Professor Snape said, his voice muffled by the heavy wooden door.

Draco gulped. His considerations might've been for naught. Uncle Sev might not let him get a word in edgewise. It sounded like the beginning of a lecture, not a conversation. Draco walked over to his godfather's desk and sat down. Severus was standing across from the boy, staring blankly at him.

"What were you thinking?" Severus asked Draco, eyes narrowing.

Draco scrunched his nose and averted his eyes. "Which time?"

Severus sighed. "Oh, the time you decided to cut off all of Professor McStuffin's hair and blame it on the house elves…"

Draco snickered. "I never liked that cat."

The professor glared.

"What do you think I'm talking about? The time you decided to kidnap Mister Potter and take him to your home. The home your Death Eater parents live in."

"Uncle Sev," Draco started, biting his lower lip. "If I told you I thought someone was being abused, would you be able to do anything? Would you believe me?"

Severus leaned back, brow creasing. What could this possibly have to do with the events of the past summer? He tilted his head, an eyebrow quirked.

"It would depend on the situation and what you consider abuse. If it's of a verbal nature, there wouldn't be much we could do. If they abused him physically, I'd have to report what you told me to Dumbledore." The professor crossed his arms. "He'd take it from there, usually. The ministry would be contacted and the child most likely taken from their home."

"What if I know Dumbledore won't do anything for the student?"

Severus shrugged. "He has to. It's the law." He shook his head. "I believe we've gotten off topic. As I was saying…"

"No, that's the point," Draco said, standing.

"What do you mean?"

"I believe Harry's abused." The blond held his professor's gaze. "That's why I took him from the Dursleys."

Severus shook his head. "I do believe Potter has deceived you. There's no way that's true."

"Let me rephrase," Draco said, arms crossed. "I know he's abused."

"Dragon," the man sighed, "Mr. Potter cannot be a victim of abuse. Professor Dumbledore would never allow it."

"I think he's ignored the problem." Eyebrows hid behind blond bangs. "Harry told me last year that a squib, Arabella Figg, watches over the Dursley house, has been in close contact with Harry for years, but no one's ever come to check on him personally."

"So, obviously, there's nothing nefarious going on there."

"I saw it," Draco said, scowling, "with me own eyes. I...I mean, the house elves, had to heal Harry before you showed up. He was black and blue, and he had two broken bones."

"What would possibly make you think that?" Severus asked him, eyes widening. "You're in no way a healer, and house elves are known to exaggerate, especially when a young child is in their care."

"He used to live in a cupboard under the Dursleys' stairs."

"He's obviously overstating his situation."

"I saw it for myself."

"That just means a cupboard exists."

Draco threw his hands in the air, his voice rising. "There was a beat up cot in there. Little broken tin soldiers lined the walls. A picture hanging from the door read 'Harry's Room'. The handwriting suggested Harry was no more than five years old."

Severus bit his cheek. "Maybe they're not well off." He winced. Didn't Albus say, though, that they got a stipend for taking care of the boy?

"They had four bedrooms upstairs." Draco paused for a moment. "If you don't think that's abuse, then what about his injuries? When I came to get Harry, he was limping and had bruises all over his face."

"He could've had a run in with the stairs or a door." Severus winced again. This didn't sound good for Lily's son.

Draco crossed his arms. "When we met at Madame Malkins, she took off Harry's shirt. He was covered in scars and bruises-old and new." He held up his hand. "If you look closely at his right hand, there are a few fingers that look broken and healed improperly. When I asked him about it, he told me his uncle got frustrated."

"Frustrated?"

"It's what he calls it. Whenever his uncle gets mad, he beats him." Severus motioned for Draco to continue. "During the summer, I wrote to Harry and he told me not to worry if he ended up getting back to me a little late. He told me his uncle got frustrated when his dinner was late or the house wasn't clean. He's treated like a house elf."

"And how do you know he didn't make up those things as excuses?"

Draco bit his lip, nose scrunched. "Tell me, when he stayed at your house, was there ever a mess?"

Severus tilted his head.

"No, he kept his room very clean." His brow creased. "In fact, I always came back from my potions lab to find the dishes done, and Mister Potter always took his plate to the sink and washed it before putting it away." Draco nodded. "He was also very quiet. A lot quieter than I thought a twelve-year-old boy could possibly be, especially considering who his father was."

"When I came to rescue Harry, his uncle stormed in, calling him a freak and asking him how many times he had told him to be quiet."

"He also eagerly arrived before every meal time. I thought he was just prompt."

Draco nodded. "When I arrived, he had bars over his windows." The blond averted his eyes. "I had to call Dobby in to disintegrate them."

The dark man waved him off. "That could have been to protect against burglars."

"On only Harry's window? Inside the house, not on the outside? He also had a door with seven locks on it, all locking from the outside. At the bottom of the door, there was a cat flap."

"A cat flap?"

Draco smirked, eyes twinkling. His uncle had finally taken the bait. "When I asked about it, he told me that they used it to feed him without having to touch him or let him out of his room. They gave him one can of soup every couple days.

"Again, it could be…"

"An exaggeration? No. I saw at Madame Malkins. You could see every rib protruding from his side. They starve him."

Severus sighed.

"Why do you think Professor Dumbledore won't do anything for his Golden Boy when he finds out about the abuse?"

"He's had this squib spying on the Dursleys for years. Do you really think she's that obtuse?" Severus shook his head. "Do you know her?"

"She was a spy for Dumbledore during the war. She kept a lookout for any suspicious activity in the muggle world. She's extremely observant."

"And when we saw Mr. Lupin, he said that he went to Professor Dumbledore every year on Harry's birthday to ask for the Dursleys' address, to see if Harry was alright. He told us Professor Dumbledore always told him that everything was fine, and he should have nothing to worry about." Draco added that little embellishment. It was the gist of what he caught the werewolf trying to say.

Severus rubbed his head and sighed. "Is there anything else?"

Draco bit his lip. This last part was delicate. He had a theory-he'd even almost mentioned it last year with Hermione and Harry before the leaving feast-but it was difficult to prove. The necessary evidence could very well expose them as time travellers.

"I think Dumbledore wants Harry abused."

Severus' head shot up. "That's a serious accusation, Draco." Severus scolded.

Draco took a deep breath and continued.

"All of last year-what happened at the end-that wasn't Harry." Draco paused. He tilted his head, creasing his brow, trying to recollect the narrative given to him from Harry and Hermione. "Dumbledore sent Hagrid- _Hagrid_ -to take Harry to Diagon Alley after he sent thousands of letters to the Dursley household. The previous letters all were unanswered-Harry admitted his uncle and aunt burned them all-and they did everything in their power to keep Harry from going to Hogwarts. Isn't it Professor McGonagall's job to contact muggle-raised children to inform them of Hogwarts?"

Severus sat down and leaned back in his chair. "Continue."

"Dumbledore also charged Hagrid with grabbing the Philosopher's stone. He took Harry to the Alley and picked up the stone before they went to get Harry's supplies. And let's be honest: who would trust Hagrid to get the stone? He isn't the best secret keeper."

Severus sighed, rolling his eyes. "Obviously."

"So Hagrid-the least stealthy option among the staff-took a curious eleven-year-old to grab the stone. What did he think was going to happen?" Draco asked rhetorically. "And how did he not know that Quirrell was a host of the Dark Lord? The man fought against him for years, knew Quirrell for almost as long, and you're telling me he couldn't tell something was off?"

"To be fair…"

"Besides all that, when you all came to scold us for the troll, Dumbledore was happy-not concerned, not even proud-just happy. His eyes were twinkling."

Severus held up a hand. "I wouldn't say that means Professor Dumbledore wants him abused. That's plain Gryffindor stupidity for you."

Draco shook his head. "The challenges that protected the stone were so easy three first years could get through them-no offense." Draco added quickly. "How did he even think that the Dark Lord wouldn't get through all of that?"

Silence echoed through the room. "How does this connect to him wanting Mister Potter abused?"

"Who else would risk their neck to save a precious stone other than someone who thought their life was worthless?"

Severus sighed, rubbing his eyes. He thought back to that first day with Mister Potter: _I'm not that great_. The pieces were all coming together.

"Professor McGonagall was always saying how Harry was always with the 'worst sort of muggles'. I thought she was mistaken, but that was back when I thought Harry was living with his grandparents," Severus said through his hands.

Draco nodded.

"Did you also notice what he wore during the summer, when school wasn't in session?"

"They looked like they were four sizes too big."

Draco nodded. "And full of holes. I saw that house, Uncle Sev. The Dursleys are well-off."

Severus ran a hand through his hair. This was a bit of an overload of information. Severus glanced at the clock. It was almost dinner time.

"Thank you, Draco, for coming to me about your concerns for Harry. I will look into it."

He ushered Draco to the door. The blond boy nodded and disappeared in the direction of the Great Hall. Severus closed the door and sank to the ground in shock. He had to do something, but what?


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Any familiar content can be found in _The Chamber of Secrets_ pg. 88.

The Mudblood Incident

Harry gasped, clutching onto his sheets. The bed was trembling. He opened his eyes to see the curtains shaking furiously. Were they having an earthquake?

"Come on! We only have a month and a half until our first match and we need to be prepared," Wood said. He stood at the foot of the bed, shaking it.

Draco moaned. "No self-respecting person would ever be awake this early."

Harry jumped out of bed, frowning. "I'm always awake at this time at the Dursleys."

Draco sighed. "You're the exception, Harry." There was no point in telling Harry the boy didn't respect himself. He had enough self-image issues as it was. "Wood, it's six in the morning on a Saturday."

"A great time for pre-season Chaser drills."

"But I'm not up," the blond said, smiling cheekily.

Oliver stomped over to Draco and shoved him out of bed.

"There, you're up. Now, I want to see you on the pitch in fifteen minutes."

Draco moaned again.

"I really need to start drinking coffee again."

Within fifteen minutes, the boys were on the pitch. They stood there waiting for Angelina, Katie, and Oliver-who was apparently trying to wake the girls up with little success.

"Should we remind him that guys can't get into the girls' dormitories?" Harry asked, leaning on his broom.

Draco smirked. "After he tried pulling off my pajamas to 'help' me get ready? Nah, let him slide down the staircase a few times."

They laughed.

"Hey Harry," said Fred, sauntering over to the boys.

"Hey Draco," said George.

Harry smiled. "Hi Fred, hi George."

Draco inclined his head. "Weasley-Dee, Weasley-Dumb."

Harry's mouth dropped. "Draco." He crossed his arms. "Be nice! The twins haven't done anything to you." _Yet_.

The blond scowled. "It's too early to be nice, Scarhead."

"Nah, it's fine, Harry. I just want to know which one's dumb," Fred said, elbowing the boy in the side.

George rolled his eyes. "That is not what we came over for."

Fred nodded in agreement.

"That's right, brother of mine." Fred turned to Harry and bowed his head. "We just wanted you to know, Ron's been a prat all summer, bragging about how he's best friends with the great Harry Potter. He kept saying he helped you with your little adventure, making it sound like he was an invaluable part of your defeat of You-Know-Who."

"We've decided we all but hate him, the liar." George shrugged. "We just thought you should know and we hope you don't view all Weasleys poorly because of one moron in the family."

"Perhaps two, since we're still considering Percy a Weasley."

Harry smiled. "It's okay, guys. Don't worry. I won't blame you for something your brother is doing. It's not like you can control him."

"Well, there is this one spell…" Fred stopped, turning as the four heard a commotion coming toward them.

"For the last time, Wood, it's 6:20 on a bloody Saturday morning," Angelina Johnson said, throwing her hands in the air while they walked.

Katie Bell nodded. "And if you ever use a sticking charm to get into the girls' dorm again, I'll hex you."

"Every girl will. We've had a meeting."

Katie crossed her arms. "Yeah, it's gotten ridiculous." She turned, scanning the Quidditch field. "The pitch isn't even open! Why in the world would you wake us up at this unGodly hour when Slytherins are infesting the pitch?"

Oliver's mouth dropped as Marcus Flint stomped over to them.

"What do you think you're doing?" Marcus asked, folding his arms across his chest. "Spying on us? Memorizing all our plays? Learning our secrets?"

"But I already know all your secrets," Draco muttered, eyes half closed.

Harry clapped his hand over Draco's mouth to keep his friend from giving away any of _their_ secrets.

"No, we booked this pitch for this morning. What are you doing here?" Oliver Wood asked, pointing a finger at the Slytherin chaser.

Flint smirked. "We got permission to use the pitch."

"Permission from whom?"

"Professor Snape." The Slytherin handed Oliver a slip of paper.

"I thought he was on our side." Draco whined.

Harry clapped his hand over his friend's mouth again.

"You're useless before seven in the morning," Harry hissed in Draco's ear. The blond nodded sleepily.

Wood crumpled the note. "Well, we booked this pitch with Professor McGonagall. She's deputy headmistress; she has first dibs. You'll have to use the pitch some other time."

"Yeah, right," Flint said as Hermione walked over to the group, Ginny hot on her tail. "You go tell that to Snape. Go ahead, I'll come and watch."

"What's up, buttercups?" Hermione asked as she slung an arm around Draco's neck.

Harry snickered. "Oh, Flint and Wood are arguing over who has more power: McGonagall or Snape."

"Oh, that is a tough one."

Draco smirked. "We could always lock them in a room together and ask them that. Whoever comes out alive wins."

Harry snickered, but turned back to the growing commotion.

"Why would Professor Snape give you the pitch when we'd already booked it?" Wood finally asked.

"To train our new seeker and chaser," Flint answered, chest puffed out. Finnegan and Zabini popped out from the crowd of Quidditch players.

Ginny scowled, surveying the two second year Slytherins. "Aren't you Athena Zabini's son?" she asked.

"Funny you should mention Blaise's mother." The Slytherin team smiled brightly. They all held up Nimbus 2001's. "She gifted the team with the newest brooms in celebration of her son and his friend making the team."

"So," Draco quirked a brow, "your black widow mother is still making money? I thought all the rich men would've figured it out after her third or fourth husband."

"Well," Zabini said, arms crossed, "at least I have a trust fund to use to buy new brooms. I would've thought Mummy and Daddy would disown a blood traitor like you."

Hermione glared. "At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in. _They_ got in on pure talent."

Zabini's eyes widened.

"Who cares what you think, you stupid little Mudblood?" Finnegan asked, stepping in front of his friend.

Flint scowled. "Yeah, no one asked your opinion."

Draco lunged toward Finnegan and punched him in the face. Zabini reacted, throwing Draco off the Irish boy. Harry attacked Zabini, stopping him from succeeding in hurting his blond friend.

Ginny jumped onto Zabini. "Don't you dare hurt Harry Potter!"

The boy glared and punched her in the face. She fell back, holding her cheek, her mouth agape. The twins looked at each other, shrugged, and then joined the fray, taking turns beating Zabini like a bludger.

Flint glared at Wood. "See what your group did now?"

"What?" Wood asked, glaring. "Don't get self-righteous on me. This is just pay back from what your team did third year."

Hermione's brow creased. "Uhm, is one of you going to-I don't know-stop this madness?"

Both captains glanced down at the brawl.

Flint sneered. "Your team started it Wood. You break it up."

"And get bludgeoned in the process? You wish."

"What is going on here?" Professor Snape asked. Hermione took a step back to give him a closer view of the mess that was in front of them. Everyone stopped, eyes widening in terror.

"He used the 'm' word, Professor Snape," Ginny whined, pointing at Finnegan.

The Irish boy narrowed his blackened eyes. "I wouldn't have had to if you weren't invading our pitch."

"We had it first, you dirty little snake…"

"I see." Professor Snape stared at Draco. The blond bowed his head in shame. "Everyone involved in the fight has detention. Move along, now. Slytherin has a practice to finish."

"I had the pitch booked for weeks…" Oliver paused as Professor Snape glared at him. He averted his eyes. "Come on, team. We can still talk strategy in the locker room."

Before Draco left, he snuck a peek at his godfather. He could've sworn he saw the stern man smilingly proudly as they walked off the pitch. Draco didn't know how Professor Snape figured out he was the one to throw the first punch, but he was glad his godfather approved.

A/N: Any familiar content can be found in _The Chamber of Secrets_ pg. 111-112.


	19. Chapter 19

The Chamber of Secrets Opens

"Was I really that important that they had to invent another me?" Draco asked his friends as they sat in the common room the evening after the "Mudblood Incident".

Hermione tilted her head.

"Yes," she said after several seconds of contemplation.

Harry nodded in agreement.

"If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have found out about Fluffy. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have gotten onto the Quidditch team. Without you, we wouldn't have needed Polyjuice this year. Without you, we wouldn't have needed to save Buckbeak…"

The blond rolled his eyes. "Ugh, that bird!"

"You were the reason the Death Eaters made it into Hogwarts and Dumbledore was killed. You were the reason that Professor Snape lost his life…" Hermione said, counting on her fingers.

"Hey," Draco said, crossing his arms. "Don't pin Uncle Sev's death on me."

The young girl shrugged.

"It's the truth. Voldemort killed Professor Snape because he thought the Professor was the one to destroy Dumbledore. In reality, you were the true master of the Elder wand until Harry disarmed you."

The blond sighed.

"Well, this time my life won't be on the line, so Professor Snape will have no reason to kill Dumbledore. Therefore, the Dark Lord should have no reason to think Uncle Sev was the master of the Elder wand."

"Exactly," Harry said. "That's why we came back in time."

Silence filled the air.

"So, Harry," Hermione started hesitantly, peering at her friend through her bangs, "do we have to go to Nearly-Headless Nick's deathday party?"

Harry scrunched his nose. "I don't see why. We've seen what it was like, we know it's no fun, and we don't need to be out and about to find out about the Chamber."

"Besides, didn't the Potters die on Halloween?" Draco asked, staring at his nails. "Maybe we should hold a Remembrance Day for them."

"I like that." Green eyes sparkled. "We could send Remus a letter asking for stories about my mum and dad."

Draco nodded. "Yeah, we'll go to the feast to begin the celebration. Then, we could continue on to the common room and read those stories from Remus. I'll ask Uncle Sev to write down a couple memories of your mum, too."

Hermione smiled. "Why not the come-and-go room instead? No offense to the common area, but it's not as personal."

The trio nodded in agreement before heading upstairs to bed. The other two fell asleep quickly, but Draco was wide awake. Something wiggled around in his mind. He had to do something incredibly special for Harry. But what?

FPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFP

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy?" Professor Snape asked, looking over the edge of a parchment at the boy standing in front of him.

Draco nibbled on his lip. "So, Halloween's coming up…"

"Really?" The potions master's brow furrowed. "I didn't notice. My, how hard it is to keep up with such an obscure date. And it's not as if our world sees it as the day a little boy stopped the greatest known monster of all time…"

"Uncle Sev…"

"Dragon, what did I say about that name?"

The blond winced. "Not to say it at school?"

"Yes, now, what is it you want?"

The boy nibbled on his lower lip. "Well, it actually has to do with Harry."

"Really? I'd never have guessed."

"Seriously, Professor. Did you know Halloween isn't exactly a fun time for him?"

Severus's eyebrow quirked. "Interesting. The day his parents died is not his favorite day of the year. I can only imagine…"

"And he doesn't know anything about his parents."

"Nothing? I could've sworn I'd seen a whole section of the Hogwarts library dedicated to the family of the boy-who-lived."

Draco's brow creased. "Is any of it accurate?"

The professor snorted. "If you consider Rita Skeeter a real journalist."

"So, no."

Black eyes rolled. "What is your point, Mr. Malfoy?"

"You were friends with Lily, right?" The professor nodded. "So, you'd have a few _factual_ stories about her, correct?" Another nod. "And you wouldn't mind writing one or two down for us to share at her Remembrance Party?"

Professor Snape's jaw dropped. "Remembrance Party?"

"Yeah," Draco shrugged. "Mione and I are planning it. We originally asked Remus Lupin for some stories about Harry's dad, but since he's not doing anything that night, he offered to come to Hogwarts and spend the evening with us."

"Oh, joy," Severus said under his breath. He rubbed his eyes. "A few stories about Lily?"

"Yeah. I'll pick them up later." The blond smiled, heading toward the door. "Thanks, Uncle Sev."

The man watched his godson disappear into the halls, shaking his head.

"What I do for my godson…"

FPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFP

Hermione smiled as she hung another string of orange lights.

"I can't wait! Only a few more hours," she said, plugging it into a nearby socket.

Draco rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure Harry feels the same. He only lost his parents on this day." The young girl blushed, but remained silent. The blond pointed to the socket. "What is this stuff, anyway?"

"It's an electrical socket."

"How'd you get it into Hogwarts?"

Hermione smiled. She had asked Remus for a picture of the Potters' living room circa 1980. He had delivered with a bunch of photos of Harry, James, and Lily seated in the living room on several different occasions. She had then wished for the Potter living room, placing several pictures at the forefront of her mind as she passed by several times.

"Apparently," she said hanging another string of lights, "Lily insisted Godric's Hollow be fitted with muggle appliances. You need electricity for that."

"Why would any witch want muggle appliances…?"

The door opened, and Harry's head appeared in the crack.

"Hey, just wanted to remind you two that there is dinner this evening, starting right about now."

Draco and Hermione smiled, dropping what they were doing to join their friend. They all walked down to dinner, where they enjoyed a lovely feast of duck, pumpkin juice, twice baked potatoes, sweet, buttered corn, green beans, fruit salad, and treacle tart.

"Ugh, I'm so full," Draco said, patting his stomach. "Maybe we should've thought about this. Eating a large feast and then having a party with cake, pumpkin juice, butterbeer…"

"Party?" Neville asked, his eyes widening.

Harry smiled. "Yeah, a party. Mione, Draco, and I are celebrating my parents." His brow creased. "Wanna come along?"

Neville's jaw dropped. "What?"

"We both lost parents, Nev. It wouldn't be right for me to think you don't grieve just because your parents still have a heartbeat."

"So, you want me to join you? Me?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Yes, Longbottom, we want you. Is there any other student here who lost their parents shortly after Potter?" The boy shook his head. "Then do you want to come or not?"

"Will there be ice cream?"

"And chocolate."

"Then I'm in."

"What's this about chocolate?" someone behind them asked.

"Moony," Harry cried, rushing to hug his mentor.

"Hiya, Prongslet," Remus said, patting the boy on the back. "Have a good week?"

"It's better now that you're here."

"I appreciate that." The lycanthrope smiled. "Now, what's this I hear about chocolate?"

Harry laughed. "Follow us and you'll see."

The witch and four wizards raced to the Come-and-Go room, Hermione pulling Neville along so he could keep up. She paced in front of the door, opening it quickly to reveal her handy work.

Remus gaped as they entered. "Wow, Miss Granger, I'm impressed."

"Hermione, please," she said, blushing. "And I couldn't have done it without the photos you gave me."

The lycanthrope sat, rubbing his hands together. "So, what story shall we tell first?"

Draco offered him a scroll.

"How about this one?"

Remus's brow creased, but he took the scroll and unrolled it.

"One day," he read, "I was at the park, escaping the house for a time. I thought I could possibly forget my family's existence and pretend for a moment that I had a normal family and that magic was not a problem. It wasn't an easy feat.

"I was about to cut through some shrubbery when I heard a laugh and squeal coming from behind the hedge. I peeked through and my sights fell on the most beautiful scene I could ever imagine. A young girl-about my age-with shockingly red hair and emerald eyes, was being pushed on a swing by who I later learned was her sister. The girl kept pleading with her sister to push her higher, but her sister kept saying that their parents wouldn't want the girl to go too high and hurt herself.

"Finally, the girl jumped off and floated to the ground. The moment I saw her do that, I knew she had magic. I broke through the hedge and went over to her. 'You're a witch,' I told her, thinking I had done a good deed in informing her thusly. Instead, she slapped me." The whole room burst out laughing.

"Yep, that's good ole' mum," Harry said, green eyes shining.

Draco smirked. "That's good ole' Uncle Sev for you, too."

"Uncle Sev?" Remus asked, brow furrowed.

"Yeah?"

"I didn't realize Severus and Lucius were related."

The blond shrugged. "They're not. Father made Severus my godfather."

The lycanthrope shook his head and continued to read through silently. His eyes widened and his skin paled. "That explains a lot," he said, cringing. He scrunched his nose. "Oh, eww. Ugh…"

"Everything alright, Remus?" Harry asked, eyebrows knitting together in concern.

Remus averted his eyes. "Maybe we should read another one."

"Oh, come on, how bad can it be?" Hermione asked as she plucked the scroll out of the older man's hands. She blushed. "Oops! Sorry, Pro….Mister Lupin." She continued reading. "Oh, ooh. Yikes…."

"What is it, 'Mione?" Harry asked, frowning.

She looked over at the other scrolls. "Maybe we should just have Mr. Lupin tell some stories now."

"What's wrong?" Draco grabbed the scroll.

"Come on, Drake. Read it to me."

The blond paled. He started shook his head.

"Nope…not getting in the middle of this…"

Harry sighed and snatched the scroll.

"I knew he was good for something," Harry exclaimed, jumping from his spot on the couch.

Remus stared at his best friend's son with concern.

"Okay, then. Let's move on."

Neville raised his hand. "But, what happened? I want to know."

Hermione shook her head. "No you don't, Neville. No you don't."

"But…"

"Let's just say it includes Professor Snape, a tree branch, and a concussion that could explain at least some of Harry's aunt's issues," Draco said, rubbing his eyes.

"Remus, why don't you tell us about the first time you met Harry's dad?" Hermione asked quickly.

Harry glared. "Hey, I wanna hear more about Professor Snape dropping tree branches on Aunt Petunia." He crossed his arms. "That man deserves a medal."

Remus sighed, rubbing his face. "We'll discuss the award ceremony at a later date." He rolled his head, cracking his neck. "So, James Potter. It all started on the train ride to Hogwarts…"

"I arrived at the platform before the sun rose on that particular September 1st. I was so excited. It was such an honor to go to Hogwarts, one most people like me didn't get to have. I waved goodbye to my parents, and raced onto the train, searching for a carriage at the very back. I sat down. I think I even bounced in my spot.

"I hadn't gotten a wink of sleep the previous night-my stomach was aching and my mind racing-anyway. I rested my head on the back of the seat…

"And fell asleep almost immediately." Remus smiled, his eyes staring off into nothingness. "That was a really good nap."

"Well?" Harry asked, shaking his mentor's arm. "What happened next."

"I awoke to a young, curly haired boy shaking me much like you just did, Harry. 'Who the heck are you?' he asked.

"I blinked, mouth agape. Not many people actually talked to me. I tend to scare people off. And no one ever asked me who I was. So, I introduced myself.

"'And you are?' I asked him.

"Sirius Black," the boy said, smiling cheekily. He pointed to another skinny boy, who promptly patted down his hair. "This prat is apparently James Potter." James waved, his brown eyes sparkling under his glasses. "How did you fall asleep? We barely just got on."

"Nice to meet you, Sirius, James." I nodded. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night-I was excited, you see-and I got here fairly early." My eyes narrowed at Sirius. "Are you the son of Orion and Walburga Black?"

"You see, Orion and Walburga were the most openly bigoted purebloods of all the ancient and noble houses. If this boy was their son...well, let's just say I was concerned he wouldn't want to associate with me.

"However, Sirius just scowled and sat down across from James.

"'Sadly,' he said, 'but trust me, I am nothing like my name would suggest. Better to not think about it, really. Got better things to waste my brain on at the moment.'"

"Did he ever actually uses that brain?" Hermione asked, brow furrowed.

Remus shrugged. "I couldn't say. But it's not important to the story." He mockingly glared at the bushy haired girl. She blushed.

"Anyway, Sirius smiled at me and said, 'James and I were just chatting about Hogwarts. What house do you want to be in, Remus?'

"My jaw dropped. 'You actually want to talk to me?'

"James shrugged. 'Why the heck not? You seem like a decent bloke. I'm not one to ignore anyone with a heartbeat and an able tongue.' He turned to Sirius. 'I want to be in Gryffindor like my dad, but Mum was in Ravenclaw; it could be interesting either way.'

"'My dad was in Ravenclaw, but my Mum was a muggle, so I'll most likely be in Ravenclaw,' I told them.

"'Ahh, so you're a bookworm, are you?' Sirius shrugged. 'I guess there are worse vices out there than reading the occasional story.' He pointed to himself. 'For example, I'm destined to be a Slytherin, if family tradition is anything to go by. Even my favorite cousin-who's nicer than a Hufflepuff-ended up in the snakes' den.'

"James jumped out of his seat. 'AHH! SNAKE IN THE CARRIAGE! SNAKE IN THE CARRIAGE!' he screamed, shaking Sirius jovially. Black grabbed my Charm book and hit James in the head.

"Shut up, you prat," Sirius said, giggling.

I laughed. In that moment, I realized that they actually wanted to be my friend." The werewolf shook his head. "That was the best day of my life."

Silence filled the room for several minutes. The man sighed and grabbed another scroll. "Alright, who wants to hear about the time the Marauders and Professor Snape had an actually civil prank war?"

The rest of the evening was spent telling stories about James, Lily, and Alice Longbottom, who had been in their same year.

"I'm sorry I don't have more stories about Frank," Remus said, smiling sadly. "He was a year ahead of us in school."

"Really?" Hermione asked, brow creased. "But aren't there usually five boys and five girls in each year?"

"So?"

"So, who was your fifth roommate?"

Remus's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you've talked about Sirius, James, Peter, and yourself. That's four."

"I mentioned Peter?" the lycanthrope asked, frowning. "I was so careful to avoid him."

Hermione's eyes widened, mouth bobbing up and down. "Uhm, you just said something in passing. I figured it out from there."

"Oh," Remus said, rubbing his neck. "Well, then, we did have another roommate. He didn't ask a lot questions and didn't participate in much."

Harry scowled. "Who was he?"

"I don't think you know him. His name's Kingsley Shacklebolt."

Draco spewed butterbeer out of his mouth, sputtering and coughing.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt was your roommate at Hogwarts?"

Remus smiled. "Yeah. Decent bloke. We gave him an award with your parents' wedding invitation: best roomie ever." He furrowed his brow. "Still has it up in his office. I remember seeing it last time I visited."

"You visit often?" Harry asked, pulling his knees to his chest, resting his chin on them.

"Actually, that's where I was going the day we met on the Knight Bus."

"Brilliant."

"He's a good guy. I should introduce you. He's a very quiet, reserved type. Always did his work. People used to joke that he'd make a great minister of magic if he could graduate Hogwarts without committing four murders."

It was now Hermione's turn to snort butterbeer out her nose.

"Seriously?"

Remus shrugged. "Well, I always joked that I wouldn't mind voting for him if he dropped the body count from four to three." The group laughed. The older man glanced at the clock. "Oops. Kept you four way after curfew. How about I take you back to Gryffindor tower so the lions actually have a chance at winning the house cup this year?"

They rose and gathered their blankets and pillows. Hermione glanced back at all her hard work.

"It's such a pity this all goes to waste."

Harry shrugged. "I've committed it to memory, Mione. We can come back here whenever we like."

The group exited the Room of Requirement. They turned to head to the tower...and bumped into Professor McGonagall, who was running in their direction.

"Remus?" the Scottish woman asked, scowling.

"Minerva." The lycanthrope furrowed his brow. "Is everything alright? You seem troubled."

She sighed. "I don't know what you're doing here, Mr. Lupin, but would you mind escorting these students back to the Gryffindor common room?" Ginny ran over to them, her face slightly damp.

"What's wrong?" Neville asked, brows knitting together.

"Nothing to worry about, Mr. Longbottom…"

"Professor McGonagall," Ginny said. "I need to tell you some…"

"Then why do you look like you're about to drop dead from a heart attack?" Draco asked, arms crossed, ignoring the Weasley girl.

"Mr. Malfoy…"

Hermione clapped a hand over the blond's mouth. "We're so sorry, Professor McGonagall. Draco's useless after eleven at night."

Minerva's eyes narrowed. "If you must know, someone petrified Mrs. Norris, and it appears the Chamber of Secrets has been opened."

"Professor McGonagall…" the redhead said again.

"Not now, Miss Weasley. Something horrible has just occurred and I need all the students in the castle accounted for." Ginny's shoulders sagged. "Now, Remus, if you wouldn't mind taking these lions up to Gryffindor Tower, we'd love to have you present at the crime scene, as well. We could use your head."

Remus nodded, herding the group of pre-teens toward their common room.

"Poor Mrs. Norris," Ginny said, averting her eyes.

Harry sighed, closing his eyes. He glanced up, addressing Fate and Time. "Thank you for making it Mrs. Norris again. Just...thank you."


	20. Chapter 20

The Bludger Incident

For Harry, the weeks flew by. He'd had fun on Halloween, and now Remus was sending him letters occasionally. He could only wait until next year, when he would have his godfather again.

As the first Quidditch match of the year approached, Harry began to get more and more nervous. He walked into DADA the day before, rubbing his hands together.

"You alright, scarhead?" Draco asked, quirking a brow. "Or are you just auditioning for a role as the newest Hogwarts ghost?"

"What?" Harry asked, his mouth dropping slightly.

The blond rolled his eyes. "You're paler than a sheet. And you're shaking like you've just been hit with a Cruciatus curse."

"It's your stupid house elf."

"Dobby? What about him?"

"Tomorrow's the day he sends a rogue bludger after me."

Draco sighed. "I told Dobby not to mess with Hogwarts. He shouldn't have any reason to come here."

"He didn't have any real reason last time. _I_ was actually safe from the basilisk."

"He couldn't have known that," Hermione said, sitting down next to her friends.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Sure, whatever."

Professor Lockhart sauntered into the classroom, smiling grandly.

"So, remind me where we were last time? Harry, I believe you were about to attack…"

"Uhm, actually Professor Lockhart," Pansy said, raising her hand, "some of us were wondering...could you tell us what the Chamber of Secrets is?"

The three time travellers smirked, peeking at each other from the corner of their eyes. This was going to be good.

"Uhm, well, you see…." Lockhart's breath quickened, and his pupils dilated slightly. Sweat dripped from his temple. "You see, we professors have been told not to say anything to students. Of course, I could tell you-I'm very knowledgeable on the subject-but Dumbledore forbade it."

Harry rolled his eyes. He turned to Pansy. "If you really wanna know, ask Professor Binns. He can't keep his mouth shut for five seconds."

"Or Hagrid, the groundskeeper down in the hut," Draco said, examining his fingernails. He should ask Lockhart where he gets his done. "He can't keep a secret to save his life."

"And," Hermione said, smirking, "I overheard someone say he attended school here the last time the chamber opened."

"Yes, well," Lockhart said, arms crossed. "Enough of that. Harry, if you will…"

The next day, Harry raced from the bathroom, shaking Draco awake.

"What the hell, scarhead?" the blond asked, rubbing his eyes.

"If you want to eat before I fall to my death, now's the time."

The ex-Slytherin shook his head. "You and your dramatics. You and your buddy Lockhart should put on a play: A Day in the Life of a Superhero."

Harry punched the blond in the shoulder. "Knock it off. You'd be freaking out if that bludger attacked you."

Draco rolled his eyes, gathering his things and heading to the bathroom.

Harry and Draco left for the locker rooms after breakfast. Ginny had tried to sneak in and say hi, but the twins shooed her off. The team dressed and lined up in front of the chalkboard. Wood pointed to several x's, explaining a play they'd tried last time.

"Come on, team. We've practiced hard. We've studied our plays. We've done our due diligence." Wood smiled, pounding a fist into his hand. "I am confident that this game will end in our favor. We will win."

Fred and George smiled deviously. They both stepped forward. Raising their fists, they both pounded on Wood's head.

Wood stood frozen in shock. "What was that for?"

Both redheads shrugged. "Knock on wood."

The captain's brows furrowed. His mouth dropped open.

"What does that mean?"

Harry sighed, stepping forward.

"In the muggle world, it's meant as a counter for jinxes. You know, when you say something won't happen, you knock on wood so that it's not jinxed." Harry turned to the twins. "Where did you learn that?"

Fred shrugged again. "Dear old dad told us about it."

"Just get out there and play, eh?" Wood said, scowling.

Everyone nodded.

The game began perfectly. Draco made quite the show of making several goals against the Slytherin team.

"And Malfoy sinks another basket…" Jordan said, announcing through the mike.

"Jordan…"

"Sorry, Professor. Just thought I'd add some muggle terminology in here. I'm tired of having to re-explain Quidditch theory…"

Harry snickered, keeping his focus on finding the snitch. His eyes widened as he saw a bludger fly his direction, and barely dodged it in time.

"Practicing for the ballet, Potter?" Finnegan sneered.

Green eyes rolled. "You wish. Then, maybe you could find the snitch."

"Hey, that's my line," Draco called across the field.

The boy-who-lived sighed, looking over at the Slytherin rival. "See what I have to deal with?"

Finnegan glared, turning to watch the Slytherin chasers shoot a failed goal. Harry smirked, his eyes scanning the pitch once more for gold. He jumped, spinning around as he heard a whizzing from behind him. A bludger had missed his broom by centimeters.

George hit it, aiming toward Finnegan. It paused mid-air, before heading right back to Harry.

"What's with the rogue bludger?" Fred asked as he once again hit the bludger, this time toward Zabini.

Harry sighed. "I had hoped for one change, just one, minor change."

"What was that, Harry-bear?" George asked, hitting the bludger into the stands, suspiciously close to the teacher's area.

"Nothing." Green eyes roved the field. He had to find the snitch quickly.

Draco, who at the moment was not in possession of the quaffle, glanced over at his friend, his heart racing. He shook his head, holding out his hand for Katie to pass the quaffle. He needed to finish the game. He could kill the house elf later.

Harry nibbled his lower lip, once again flying out of the path of the stupid bludger. He needed to find the snitch now. He headed toward the Slytherin end when a glitter caught his eye. The snitch! He smiled. He moved in, millimeters away from grabbing the golden winged ball when a crack echoed through the stands. He flinched, pain radiating down his right arm.

The boy clenched his teeth. He had to focus. He reached his left hand out, catching the snitch moments before running his broom into the ground.

Draco raced down hopped off his broom to check on Harry. Most of the students flocked to the poor Gryffindor seeker, and Ginny became especially vocal in her anger against whoever was supposed to be in charge of bludger security. Several teachers in the stands ran down, too. Lockhart somehow arrived before the rest, boasting about how he could fix the arm in a jiffy. He lifted his wand, pointing it at Harry's fractured arm.

The blond chaser ran in front of the wand, while the youngest Weasley squealed. "No."

"Oh, dear children, you don't know what you're talking about," Lockhart said, flashing a blinding smile. "I can fix this with a simple spell."

Hermione ran over, shaking her head. "No, you're not a mediwizard or a healer in any way, shape, or form."

"She's quite right, Professor Lockhart," Madame Pomphrey said, jogging up beside the small posse. "I believe it's my job to perform all medical procedures, including simple breaks."

The mediwitch raised her wand.

" _Bombarda_ ," Professor Snape hissed. He smirked as tiny pieces of bludger fell from the sky. "What in the world is it with rogue bludgers today?"

Madame Pomphrey shook her head. "I don't know. _Episky_." She helped Harry up. "Now, let's go and have a better look at that arm. I swear, I don't know why permissions slips aren't required for quidditch. Just look at the damage…"

Draco and Hermione traipsed behind her, the blond boy smirking and the young girl shaking her head.

"And you're telling me not even a little part of you wants to take Dobby's head and fix it to a wall?" the ex-Slytherin asked his friend. The girl's eyes narrowed. "Just saying. I know a lovely little collection in one of my family's ancestral houses…"

"I'll fix _your_ head to a spike, Draconus Lucius Malfoy."

"What's this about spikes?" Ginny asked, still following the crew.

"Now, now," the medi-witch said, clicking her tongue as she helped the injured seeker onto a bed, "there's no need to talk of spikes and decapitations. I daresay, I don't know what Binns is thinking, spending so much time in the Middle Ages now days…"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Because obviously, all of our knowledge comes from a ghost professor, rather than our own personal research."

The nurse ignored him. "Now, Mr. Potter, I do believe this break is healed, but I'd like to keep you overnight for observation." The boy opened his mouth, eyes filling with indignation. "No arguments. I can only imagine the side effects of a poorly healed ulna."

"She's right, Mr. Potter," Professor Snape said, sliding through the door. "Even if I am loathe to admit it."

The boy glared. "She just likes to keep students here as long as possible. Probably likes the company."

"Maybe we should get her a cat," Draco said, sitting in a chair next to Harry.

Hermione laughed. Her eyes sparkled. "Ooh, I get Crookshanks next year."

The potion professor furrowed his brow. "Who is Crookshanks?"

Harry sighed. "Yay, we get that beast to look forward to."

The boy rubbed his eyes. He was not looking forward to an irate Ron this time around. Although, now that he thought about it, maybe Ron did deserve what was coming to him, and he was sure the rat deserved it.

The potions professor shook his head. He only came in here to check on the potions stocks, not converse with the boy-who-lived and his unruly horde of fans. He walked off, grabbing the young Weasley girl and showing her out. He had other things he needed to do before he came back to talk with the boy. And he was certain the Golden Trio did not want a Weasley hanging on their every word.

Hermione crossed her arms. "Don't blame Crookshanks. He knew before we did that Scabbers was Pettigrew."

"Yeah, but only because Sirius told him." Harry scanned the room. "Maybe this conversation is a bit loud. After all, we are talking about things that haven't occurred yet."

Both his friends nodded in agreement.

"Come now," Madame Pomphrey said, waving her hands at the two intruders. "That's enough excitement for today. You two may come by tomorrow to pick up your friend."

Draco glared, but Hermione grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the exit.

"Yes, Madame Pomphrey," she said, smiling. She turned to her friend. "See you. Get well."

Harry sighed, rolling over onto his side. He closed his eyes. At least the beds in the hospital wing were soft.

A throat cleared. Harry jumped, swiveling.

"We still do not know what happened to the bludger," Professor Snape said, brow raised.

"I do." Harry muttered, forcing his breathing to steady. He checked his pulse. His heart was racing.

Silence fell on the pair.

"It's not that surprising to see how often you are in the hospital wing, Mister Potter, considering how often your father was in here," the professor said finally, averting his gaze. "I believe he was in here almost every week," he smirked, "and I can only take credit for half of those instances."

"I'm sure," Harry said, eyes glittering. "Though, I heard some stories from Remus about what they did to you. At least some of those instances were justified."

Professor Snape inclined his head.

"Childish grudges do tend to create some interesting stories, I am sure."

Harry smirked. "I'll say." The boy took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, by the way, for what my father did to you. No one deserves that." He shook his head. "I can only hope that he had grown up by the time my mum married him. I can't stand bullies and I hate to think my father was one."

Professor Snape's jaw dropped. He blinked, shaking his head a few times before regaining composure.

"Your father was many things, Mister Potter." The sour man paused. "But I know Lily. He must have matured if she was willing to marry him."

Green eyes glistened. "Thank you, sir."

Professor Snape nodded. There was another awkward silence. He stood at the foot of Harry's bed, only leaving when Madame Pomphrey shooed him away.

Harry laid his head back on his pillow. It was strange; had Professor Snape defended James Potter? The boy shook his head.

He did not have much time to think before they brought in a petrified Colin Creevey. The poor boy. The poor, idiot boy. But seriously, what bimbo's first thought when they hear a student's been attacked by a rogue bludger: I should sneak out after dark to go get a picture?

Harry jolted up. Wait. Why in the world had every blamed him for being the heir of Slytherin? He had an alibi for Colin Creevey's petrification. He crossed his arms, glaring even in sleep.

The next morning, Hermione and Draco ran down to get Harry out of the hospital wing.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione gasped, rushing and throwing her arms around her friend. "It's awful. Colin Creevey…"

"I know, Mione," Harry said, patting her on the back.

"I watched the portrait door for him, but I fell asleep."

The green-eyed boy shook his head. "Oh, Mione, only you."

Draco rolled his eyes. "You two should get a room."

Harry smirked. "Jealous?" He sighed, shaking his head. "Hermione, I thought of something last night. How could anyone blame me for Colin's petrification?"

Hermione quirked her brow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's just that I was obviously here. Madame Pomphrey would have noticed if I left…"

"That's true. We never thought about that before. How could they think you were Heir of Slytherin after what happened to Colin? You were in no shape to petrify him."

Draco crossed his arms over his chest. "You know, I was pretty jealous of you for that." He paused, shaking his head. "Not that you were the Heir of Slytherin-I knew you weren't-but that everyone thought you were. If anyone should have been suspected of being the Heir, it should have been me."

"Why do you think we needed Polyjuice? We pretended to be Crabbe and Goyle to figure out if you knew anything about the heir," Harry said.

Draco's eyes widened. "Hermione was Goyle? I mean, I know you must have been Crabbe, because of the whole glasses thing, but Hermione turned into a boy?"

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"No, I was supposed to be Millicent Bulstrode. However, I accidently grabbed a cat hair rather than her hair. I ended up in the hospital wing for a few weeks after that incident."

Draco nodded, smiling. "Wait, you were a cat?"

Harry smirked.

"Catgirl. Na na na na na na na na na na. Catgirl." Draco furrowed his brow and Hermione slapped his shoulder. Harry laughed. Draco joined in, though he didn't get the cultural reference. Harry'd have to introduce the joys of Batman to the blond later.

A/N: All familiar content can be found in _The Chamber of Secrets_ pg. 189


	21. Chapter 21

Dueling Club

Hermione yawned. She stretched her arms. She blinked. Why did she agree to get up this early in the morning? She rubbed her eyes as she meandered over to the announcement board.

"Harry," she called, eyes widening.

"Yes?" the boy asked, walking over to his friend.

"The dueling club is starting today."

"Starting or ending?"

"What's the difference?" Draco asked, crossing his arms.

Hermione huffed. "You know what I mean."

"Who do you think they'll call up for me to duel this time?" Harry asked, shrugging. He picked up both his and Hermione's book bags and headed for the Great Hall.

"I don't know," Draco said, yawning. "Last time, Professor Snape was furious at me for pulling that snake trick. He told me to use _Rictumsempra_ or something else harmless." He shrugged. "I used it because my father taught me it to me over summer. I thought it would be funny. I got detention for a week."

"And here I thought you were Professor Snape's little pet."

Draco smirked.

"He's the man who raised me. Of course, I respect and admire him, and yes, he does tend to spoil his godson," the blond's head shook, "but I'm not his pet."

"Sure acted like one," Hermione muttered, sitting down at the Gryffindor table. Draco threw a scone at her.

"Hey, hey, hey," Harry said, sitting next to the blond. "Be nice. Save some of that aggression for the duel tonight."

Silver eyes rolled, but the boy nodded in agreement.

At 7:55, the trio returned to the Great Hall.

Hermione shook her head. "There has to be twice as many students as last time."

"Yeah, right," Harry said, snorting as the three of them swam through the endless sea of bodies. "Because everyone knows Professor Snape is going to best Professor Lockhart."

"As if there's any doubt?" Draco asked, scowling.

"Dragon," Hermione said, lowering her voice, "no one knew who was going to be leading or who was going to be helping. No offense intended to the great and powerful potions professor."

"Do you think there might be a way to ensure people don't think I'm the Heir of Slytherin after this club?" Harry asked, turning to his friends as they made it to the front.

Hermione scrunched her nose. "You could tell the snake to come to you. That way, it doesn't look like you set it on Justin."

The boy nodded. "That sounds like a decent idea. Maybe I'll do that."

Draco opened his mouth, eyes widening in horror.

The Great Hall doors flung open and Lockhart flounced in, making it impossible for the young ex-Slytherin to reply. He glared, ready to yell out a nasty remark. However, he softened as Professor Snape stalked behind the DADA professor.

Harry struggled not to giggle. Professor Snape's brow was creased; his eyes narrowed. His nostrils flared every other breath. He wasn't pleased.

"Gather around, gather around. Can all of you see me? Can all of you hear me?" Lockhart scanned the room. "Good. Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves."

Harry leaned toward Draco. "Isn't that what he's supposed to be doing anyway as our DADA professor?"

Draco pressed his lips together to avoid laughing.

"…As I have done on countless occasions. For full details, see my published works," Lockhart said, smiling. "Now, let me introduce you to my assistant, who knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself, Professor Snape."

"A tiny little bit? He's the one who taught _me_ to duel," Draco muttered under his breath.

Harry smirked. "You say that as if you're an immaculate dueler."

Draco punched him in the shoulder. "Hey, I can hold my own in a fight."

"You lost ownership of the most powerful wand in the wizarding world in a duel."

"I let you win."

"Yeah, right," Harry scoffed.

"Now, we will be showing you how to disarm your opponent. Severus, I want you to try to disarm me on three. I will then use the _Protego_ spell to block you." Lockhart turned to the crowd. "Don't worry, Severus, I'll go easy on you."

Professor Snape rolled his eyes and got into position.

"Okay, now on three. One…two…three." Lockhart posed, swinging his wand lazily.

Professor Snape quickly disarmed him, throwing the man across the room. Hermione, Draco, and Harry cheered as the rest of the group applauded vigorously.

"Good job, Severus, but I must admit, I knew it was coming. I just wanted to show them how you disarm your opponent," Lockhart said, getting up slowly. "Now, enough demonstrating. Everyone should pair off. Harry, go with Mr. Finnegan, Mr. Malfoy with Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger with Miss Parkinson."

Draco leaned over to Hermione. "Kill her, please."

Hermione sighed.

"We aren't full trained wizards, remember. How would I-a muggleborn-explain my ability to throw an Avada?" She shook her head. "We can only use disarming spells, anyway."

Draco glared. "Can't you do something to make it look like an accident? A well-placed _Bombarda_ to the head?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and moved over to Pansy.

"Well, well, well, Potter. We meet again." Finnegan leveled his wand at the boy. "You never showed up at our last duel."

"And how would you know?" Harry asked. He flicked his wand. "Expelliarmus."

Without a moment's hesitation, the Irish boy's wand flew out of his hand and into the-boy-who-lived's.

"Well done, Harry," Lockhart said before moving onto another group. The boy rolled his eyes.

"Ugh," Ron grunted, running to pick up his wand for a fifth time. "Bloody hell, Malfoy. It's not even fair. Not all of us have our death eater daddies teaching us advanced level work in the summers."

The blond rolled his eyes. "Just shoot the dang spell, Weasley."

"Has he taught you any Unforgivables ye...Hey!"

Draco grabbed Ron's wand from the air. "I gave you a chance." He put the wand in his pocket. "You can have it back when you say you're sorry."

Hermione and Pansy circled each other.

"What did you do to my Drakey-poo?" Pansy asked, flicking her wand. Hermione's stayed firm in her hand.

"I didn't do anything. He just decided to step out of Malfoy's shadow. Expelliarmus." The Slytherin's wand flew into her hand.

"No, really, what love potion?" Parkinson scrunched her nose. "All the ones I've tried so far sucked."

Hermione rolled her eyes, flicking her wand again. Pansy squealed, losing her grasp once more.

"Give me back my wand, Malfoy," Ron yelled out, causing the entire hall to turn to them.

"Fine," Draco said, handing back the wand. He turned to go back to his spot.

The redhead flicked his wand hard, trying to cast a blasting spell at the blond. He lost his grip, and the wand flew high up into the air, snapping when it hit the edge of the platform.

"My wand," he gasped, picking up the cracked piece of wood, held together by a single unicorn hair.

Harry rolled his eyes. He turned to Finnegan. "Expelliarmus."

"Hey, I wasn't even paying attention," the Irish boy said, his face reddening.

Professor Snape rubbed his eyes.

"Professor Lockhart," he said, sighing, "maybe we should teach the students how to _block_ unfriendly spells, as well. It seems Mister Potter here has already figured it out. Why don't we have him show us the correct way to block a curse?"

Lockhart nodded vigorously.

"I agree. Mr. Potter seems just the right person to show us." Professor Lockhart agreed. "Mr. Weasley, would you like to come up here and duel the great Harry Potter?"

Harry huffed, about to protest. He was not great.

"I don't think Mr. Weasley knows enough spells to allow him to properly duel Mr. Potter. Any spell could end up hurting someone in the crowd, thanks to his broken wand." The potions professor smiled, "Perhaps one of my Slytherins is better suited to the task. Might I suggest Mr. Zabini?"

"Of course, of course. Mr. Zabini, please come up to the platform. Mr. Potter, are you ready?"

Harry sighed, stepping up.

"Scared, Potter?" Zabini asked.

"You wish."

Draco puffed out his lip. "Hey, that's my line."

Hermione rubbed her face. "Would you like to go over and tell him?"

Draco rolled his eyes and sighed.

Zabini and Harry raised their wands, pointing them in the direction of their opponent.

"Now, just do what I did, Mister Zabini," Lockhart said, gently.

"What? Drop his wand?" Draco muttered. Hermione giggled.

"On the count of three. One…two…three."

"Go," Professor Snape said, eyes sparkling. It was a very small victory, but at least he got to play with the idiot's head a little bit.

Harry raised a protective shield.

"Rictumsempra," Zabini said, throwing a purple blast toward the boy. It bounced right off.

"Taranallegra."

"Protego."

"That's not fair. How do you even know that spell?"

Harry quirked a brow. "Are we going to whine or are we going to duel?"

Professor Snape coughed behind his hand, hiding a smirk.

Zabini glared. "You think you're so great, don't you, Harry Potter?" The boy flicked his wand. " _Serpensortia_."

An angry snake shot out of his wand. The whole crowd gasped and some girls screamed in fear.

"Don't move, Mr. Potter," Professor Snape said, moving toward the reptile. The man approached carefully, crouching slightly. He paled, and his brow creased as he tried to get closer.

Harry shook his head. He could handle this.

": _Where am I?:_ " The snake hissed.

"Everybody stay calm," the boy said, throwing up a hand. He turned to the snake. " _:Come to me.:_ "

The snake slithered over. Harry held out his hand and the snake wrapped itself around his arm.

" _:Where am I? Who are you? Why are you able to speak to me?:_ "

" _:I can speak Parseltongue. Don't ask why. It's too complicated.:_ " Harry sighed. " _:We are at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I'm Harry Potter. Who are you?:_ "

" _:I don't know my name.:_ "

" _:Would you like me to give you a name?:_ " Harry asked. The snake nodded.

Harry faced Professor Snape. The man stood, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"This snake doesn't want to hurt anyone. It's scared and doesn't know where it is." He turned to Draco. "Do you want him?"

Draco nodded excitedly. "Yes, of course."

Harry walked over and handed the snake to the blond. " _:Don't hurt him. He's my friend, Draco. He'll be your owner.:_ " He looked to Draco. "What would you like to name him?"

Draco smirked. "Severus."

Harry bent over, trying to catch his breath from laughing. Hermione fell to the floor, giggling. Draco snickered, but let the snake slither around his hand.

Harry took a deep breath, steadying himself. He scanned the room.

"What happened? Where is everybody?" Harry asked innocently.

Professor Snape smirked.

"Fear of snakes tends to run rampant in children and DADA professors." The Head of Slytherin frowned. "Mister Potter, were you aware that you're a Parselmouth?"

Harry smiled. "Once, I accidently set a snake on my cousin, before I knew I had magic. I also trapped him in the snake pit."

Severus nodded.

"It is a rare gift. Don't let anyone tell you differently." He turned back to the trio. "You three should get back to your common room and figure out what you're going to do with…" He paused and smirked, "Severus, here."

Harry, Draco, and Hermione raced back to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Where are you gonna put him?" Harry asked as the entered.

The blond shrugged. "Probably conjure a cage. I can buy a real one next time I'm in Diagon Alley."

Hermione smiled. "Can I hold him?"

"Sure."

: _She smells nice._ : the snake hissed, cuddling into her neck.

Harry snickered.

"What'd he say, Harry?" Draco asked.

"Oh, just that she smells nice."

Draco reddened. "Maybe it's time I take him up to bed. He should probably get some sleep."

The other two nodded, heading up to their dorms.

The next afternoon, Harry trudged to class, scowling.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Hermione said, patting him on the back. "But to be fair, we knew this was going to happen."

"Yeah, Justin Finch-Fletchley was petrified last time," Draco said quietly, pulling out his class books.

Harry glared across the room, where a group of Slytherins stared in his direction.

"It had to have been Potter. He's clearly the Heir of Slytherin, since he's a Parselmouth." Finnegan sneered.

The boy-who-lived sighed.

"Was this really necessary? Did I need the whole school against me again?"

Hermione shrugged. "You did everything you could to help them realize that it wasn't you."

"Well, you could have let Professor Snape take care of Severus so that no one knows you're a parselmouth," Draco said, wrapping the snake around his neck.

Harry facepalmed. "Why didn't you suggest that yesterday?"

"I was about to, but Lockhart walked in. It'd have been rude to talk while he was talking."

The professor entered and the trio turned their attention to the front of the room. After class, they returned to their common room, where they found Ron petting Scabbers.

"Hiya, Harry. I can't believe you're a parselmouth. That's so cool," Ron said, smiling lopsidedly. Ginny-who was sitting next to Ron-patted an empty spot on the couch.

Harry rolled his eyes, flopping onto the couch. Draco followed, pushing up his sleeves to reveal his new pet snake.

Ron gulped. He pulled his pet closer to him. Harry caught the motion out of the corner of his eye. His eyes widened.

"Ron, can I see Scabbers for a second?" Harry asked.

Ron shrugged and handed the rat over.

"He's not very impressive. Just sleeps all the time."

Harry smirked and started to hand Pettigrew over to Draco.

"Here. Severus food."

Ron paled. "Hey, that's my rat."

Hermione hit Harry on the back of the head.

"No, Harry. Sirius needs him alive."

Pettigrew jumped out of Harry's hands and Severus slithered to follow him.

Draco grabbed the snake quickly.

"Maybe we should go to the kitchens to get Severus some dinner."

Ron finally piped in. "Yeah, Malfoy, keep that beast away from us."

"Alright, alright, Weasley. No need to get your wand in a twist." Draco said. The Trio got up and began to walk toward the kitchens. Draco began talking to the snake. "Now, Severus, that's a very bad thing to do, even if the rat deserves it. We need to keep people happy so they don't take you away from me."

Harry smiled and eagerly translated for Draco. Severus agreed to play along, as long as he got some food. Harry promised he would get some soon.


	22. Chapter 22

A Conversation with Dumbledore

"How is it you haven't been expelled yet?" Ernie MacMillian asked, glaring at Harry on their way to Herbology.

"Because I didn't do anything?" Harry said, raising an eyebrow.

Zacharias Smith snorted. "Yeah, and those kids in the infirmary aren't petrified. They're just sleeping, waiting for true love's kiss."

"He's telling the truth," Hermione said, stomping her foot as they stopped and waited for Professor Sprout.

"Yeah," Draco said, putting down her bag before he dropped his own. "And did you have to cover the entire Gryffindor common room floor with poison ivy?" The blond scratched his leg. "I mean, if you have to torture him-fine-but don't get us stuck in the middle of it."

"And if I catch any of you trying to lace Harry's pumpkin juice with magic mushrooms one more time…"

"Alright, alright, everyone. Sorry I'm late," Professor Sprout said, unlocking the greenhouse door and throwing it open. "Come, come. It's time for class."

"I really wish they would stop blaming me." Harry sighed, grabbing the closest plant. "It's not my fault there's a basilisk running free through the school. I'm not the one who put it there." He shrugged. "If anyone's to blame, it's Salazar Slytherin, or Tom Riddle. It's definitely not me."

"Who's Tom Riddle?" Draco asked, brow quirked.

"He's Baby Voldemort." Harry took out a piece of parchment and a quill. He wrote out Tom Marvolo Riddle and then I am Lord Voldemort. "Voldemort is an anagram. He's really a half-blood with daddy issues."

The blond glared. "What a hypocrite." He growled. "Why would anyone follow him?"

"He's a very good actor?" Harry reached into his backpack and took out a cut up egg. He dusted it off and began eating it.

Hermione grimaced. "What the heck are you doing with a boiled egg in your backpack?"

He shrugged. "I couldn't stand the glares at breakfast, so I went down to the kitchens. It took extra time, so I had to grab and go."

"You got an extra?" his blond friend asked, holding up his arm. Harry smiled.

Draco sighed and took a hard-boiled egg from his friend. Severys (they had decided to spell him with a y to differentiate between the snake and the Snape) popped out from underneath the blond's sleeve. The ex-Slytherin handed his snake the egg.

Professor Sprout spent the greater portion of her class glaring at Harry. He avoided her gaze, but inside his blood boiled.

When class ended, the trio trudged down to lunch. Green eyes sparked in fury as whispers around him turned to mumbles.

"He has to be the one behind the attacks. He's a parselmouth."

"But...doesn't that just mean he talks to snakes?"

"All parselmouths go dark," a Ravenclaw third year said. "It's fact. I read in Hogwarts, a History…"

Harry turned to Hermione. "I hate your stupid book."

She shook her head. "Don't blame the book, Harry. Blame the idiots who misinterpret it."

Hedwig swooped down and dropped a letter, perching on Harry shoulder. She hooted.

Her owner scowled. "I suspect you're expecting something for your troubles?" The owl bobbed her head. Green eyes rolled. "Here. Have some turkey."

"Who sent the letter?" Hermione asked, staring intently at her friend.

"It's from Dumbledore," Harry said, growling. He sneered. "I wonder what he wants."

Draco shrugged. "Maybe he wants to check and see if you really are the Heir of Slytherin."

Harry shook his head. "He knows I'm not. He knows it's Riddle." He pushed his plate away. "Well, no reason to postpone the meeting any longer. I'll see you guys later."

Hermione stood there shocked. "He wants to be on time for something? He always waits until the last minute."

Draco rolled his eyes and continued eating his lunch.

"Our Harry's growing up."

She shrugged, turning back to her own food.

Harry walked over to the statue that protected the entrance to Dumbledore's office. He muttered "Gumdrops" and walked through the doorway. He climbed the stairs and knocked on the door to Dumbledore's office.

"Come in."

Harry entered and sat down in a chair across from the professor.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes, Harry, I have…"

The door burst open. A voice called out, "He didn't do it, Headmaster."

Harry smiled, expecting Hagrid to stand there and defend him against the stupid rumors flying around. He turned….and his jaw dropped.

Remus Lupin stood just inside the doorway, panting.

"Harry is innocent. I will testify in open court." The man straightened, stretching slightly. "I was there the night the Chamber first opened this year and I can promise he was with me all night."

The boy's mouth bobbed.

"What are you doing here, Remus?" Harry asked once he found his voice. "Not that I don't appreciate you being here to support me, but I wasn't expecting you today."

"Yes, Mr. Lupin, shouldn't you be preparing for tonight?" Dumbledore asked, eyes narrowing.

Remus scowled. "I've dealt with the problem for years, headmaster. I know how much I can handle." He shook his head. "Harry's been sending me letters, telling me about the Chamber of Secrets and the events surrounding it. I wanted to come and encourage him after hearing about the accusations from last night."

"Wait, how'd you get my letter so quickly?" Harry asked, brow creased. "It literally happened last night."

The man blushed. "Besides the point.

"When I got here, I ran into Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger. They said that Harry had been called to your office, sir. I just wanted to make sure you didn't make any accusations against the innocent."

Dumbledore held up a hand. "I assure you, Remus, I am planning on doing nothing of the kind. Now if you would kindly wait for Mr. Potter outside, we have some important things to discuss."

Remus nodded, turning to Harry.

"I'll be in the Great Hall. Come and find me when you're done."

The boy smiled. Once the door closed, he faced Dumbledore. The man began.

"Now, Harry, is there anything you would like to discuss with me?"

Harry tilted his head.

"About the Chamber of Secrets? No." His brows knit together. "However, I did have a question about the summer." Harry paused, taking a deep breath. "I can't spend another summer at the Dursleys, sir. They beat me. They don't feed me. They treat me like a house elf. They lock me in my room. I lived in the cupboard under the stairs until my Hogwarts letter came. It's a very hostile environment and I really would like to stay here, or somewhere else. Anywhere, just not the Dursleys."

Dumbledore sighed. "I'm sorry, Harry, but it's for the greater good, and it's in your best interest." He looked out the window at the setting sun. "You have to go back to the Dursleys."

Harry jumped out of his seat. "How can you say that?"

"Because I'm your magical guardian."

"Who placed you as my magical guardian? Who gave you the right to decide where I stay?" The headmaster stared out the window in silence. The boy huffed. "I'll take my leave, Professor. Good day."

Harry turned and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

"Oh, Harry, there you are," Hermione said, running to hug her friend.

"Did you know Lupin's here?" Draco asked, smirking.

"Yeah," Harry said through gritted teeth, "he came in while I met with Dumbledore."

"What did he want?" Hermione asked.

"He thinks it's for the greater good and my best interest to stay with the Dursleys," Harry said, ignoring his friend.

"Professor Lupin?"

"Yeah, my dad's best friend wants me starved to death." He sighed as Hermione's eyes filled with tears. "Sorry, Mione. No, I meant Dumbledore."

Draco's eyes widened. "Did you tell him what happens there?"

Harry nodded.

"I told him all of it. He said I had to go back." He shook his head. "I gotta go. Remus is waiting for me."

The two Gryffindors watch their friend stomp down the corridor.

"I got to go, too," the blond said, turning toward the dungeons.

Hermione quirked a brow. "Oh, uhm, okay?" She walked over to her friend, placing a hand on his arm. "Do you need me to come with?"

"No, it's okay. Just something I promised I'd do."

The girl smiled. "See you in the common room later?"

He nodded and ran off in the direction of the dungeons.

"Uncle Sev, Uncle Sev," he called out frantically, pounding on his godfather's office door. Severus opened it and Draco stumbled in.

"What is it, Dragon?" Severus asked him as he helped stabilize the boy. "You're acting like a werewolf is chasing you."

"He knows," Draco said, panting.

Severus quirked an eyebrow. "The werewolf?"

The blond shook his head. "No, Remus is in the Great Hall." He slapped a hand over his mouth.

The potions master sighed. "Ignoring the fact that Lupin clearly cannot keep a secret, what's wrong?"

"Dumbledore knows Harry's abused and he won't do anything about it."

Severus dropped into his chair.

"We already went over this, Draco. You can't just go claiming people are abusing kids on purpose."

"I'm not accusing. There's proof."

The man rubbed his eyes. "What new evidence do you have?"

"Harry just came from a meeting with Dumbledore," Draco said, lowering himself into a seat. "He told Dumbledore all about the abuse, pleading with him to send him somewhere besides the Dursleys for the summer. He told Harry that it was for the greater good and his best interest that he go back there!"

Professor Snape inhaled deeply.

"He's doing it again, I see."

A blond eyebrow quirked. "When did he do this before?"

The man shook his head.

"That's beside the point." He examined the boy. "Draco, you are to tell no one about this. I will handle it, but it must be done carefully and quietly. I don't want you to do anything Gryffindor-like."

"Thanks Uncle Sev."

"You should get back to your friends." The boy rose. His godfather stayed him with a hand. "No one can know you came to me."

Draco nodded in agreement. "Okay. See you around, Uncle Sev."

Severus slumped in his chair and held his head in his hands once the door closed. What could he do?

FPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFP

Harry walked down to the Great Hall, scanning the crowd for his parents' best friend. He eyed the man with his head of house, and moved over to them. As he got closer, he eavesdropped on the conversation.

"I'm telling you, Minerva, it's a life saver," Remus said, smiling.

The professor nodded. "I'm glad he's willing to help you in that way. The more I've gotten to know the man, the more I admire his heart." She shook her head. "If only he'd show it more."

Harry smirked, walking up behind the lycanthrope. He caught his professor's eye and held a finger to his lips. She smiled.

"Hi, Professor McGonagall. Hi, Remus." The older man jumped. "I just finished up my discussion with Professor Dumbledore."

Professor McGonagall's brow furrowed. "You had a conversation with the headmaster without your head of house present?"

Harry shrugged. "Well, yeah." It was a regular occurance last time.

She shook her head, sighing. "Well, I'm sure he had a good reason to break protocol." She turned to her former student. "Well, Remus, it was lovely seeing you again. You really should come around more often."

Remus chuckled. "I'll try, Minerva." He turned to Harry. "How about we go to that room we were in on Halloween? It's a bit more private for us to catch up in." Harry nodded.

Once they arrived, Remus shut the door and motioned for Harry to sit.

"How did your conversation go, Harry?" the lycanthrope asked as he himself sat down on a leather recliner.

Harry threw his hands in the air, scowling. "He knows about the abuse and he's still sending me back there."

The man's jaw dropped. "What abuse? Harry, what's going on?"

The boy blushed, averting his eyes. "It's…It's nothing. Don't worry about it, Remus."

"If you think I could possibly not worry about it, then you don't know me at all. Harry, is someone abusing you?" Green eyes stared at the ground. "Who is it, Harry?"

"It doesn't matter. I'll have to go back there, anyway."

Remus's brow creased. "Harry, who are you staying with over the summers?"

"The Dursleys."

The crease deepened. "Who are the Dursleys?"

"Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon."

Silence filled the room. It was unnerving. The boy peeked through his bangs, hoping the man was still with him. His head shot up.

Remus's face turned a deep shade of red. His eyes popped out of his head. His nostrils flared with each breath. After a few moments, he jumped out of his chair.

"You're living with Petunia Evans?" Harry's eyes widened and he nodded silently. "Of all the people you could have been sent to, the Headmaster sent you to Petunia?"

"Well, yeah."

"Lily hated Petunia, and the feeling was mutual. You should never have been sent there. What did they do to you?"

"Remus, calm down."

"I won't calm down." The man huffed, sitting back in his chair. "Explain."

Harry spent the next half-hour describing how the Dursleys had treated him for the past eleven years. When he finished, he looked at Remus expectantly.

The lycanthrope remained silent. He rose and stormed out of the room, heading for the headmaster's office.

"Oof," a voice cried, forcing the man to stop. He looked down to find Draco rubbing his forehead. "Have you ever heard of watching where you're going?"

Despite himself, Remus laughed. "I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy. I was a bit preoccupied."

The blond shook his head. "What's up?"

"I'm going to give the headmaster a piece of my mind," the man said, walking over to the gargoyle.

Draco ran in front of the wolf. "No, you can't."

The werewolf glared. "Can't what?"

"You can't tell Dumbledore the truth."

"Whyever not?"

Silver eyes rolled. "Uncle Sev is handling it. He says he doesn't want us doing anything overtly Gryffindor."

"Uncle Sev?" Remus shook his head. "I promised James and Lily that I would look after him. Here, I find out he's been abused." He rubbed his eyes. "I've failed at my one job."

The blond walked over and patted the wolf on the shoulder.

"As long as he's still breathing, you haven't failed." He shrugged. "Sure, Harry's had more than his fair share of bumps and bruises-and he definitely needs a better nutrition plan than scrounging for scraps in the garbage-but he's still alive. You still have a chance." He smiled. "Maybe you could check up on him in the summers. I know his address, I've been there before. I can tell you where he is."

Remus huffed and nodded.

"Moony, wait," Harry called, jogging over to his friends.

The werewolf grabbed the boy up in a tight hug.

"Harry, I'm so sorry we've failed you. I promise...I'll write every day. I'll check on you all the time." He squeezed harder. "I never should have trusted someone else's word. I...I…"

"Moony," the boy said, his throat tightening in spite of himself. "It's okay. I don't blame you."

The man sniffed, letting go so he could rub his eyes. "I don't care. I'm the adult. I promised your parents I'd protect you."

"I'm alright. I can take care of myself."

"You shouldn't have to." Remus placed an arm around Harry's shoulders. "From now on, I'll be there."

Green eyes sparkled. "Thanks, Moony."

The man gave him one more hug. "I have to get going. I'll check on you tomorrow."

"Okay." They hugged one more time, and Remus left, stealing peeks behind him as he walked away.

"Everything alright?" Draco asked, watching his friend. A smile crossed his face as the boy nodded. "Good."

The blond directed the boy-who-lived toward the Gryffindor tower, not once letting his smile drop. In the past, no one had been around to protect his friend. This time, he had many.


	23. Chapter 23

Christmas, Second Year

"I think Remus is getting obsessed," Harry said. He plopped down in the couch next to the fire place, holding up a piece of parchment. "His letters are coming every day now, and he's asking me about my dietary habits. Should I be concerned?"

Hermione shrugged. "You always wanted an overbearing mother. Well, now you got one!"

Harry sighed. "Yes, I just never thought it would be Remus."

Draco snatched the letter from his friend. "Let's see-

"Dear Harry, how was your day today? I checked your schedule and it says you had DADA and history. How are you doing in those classes?"

"Yeah, Harry, how are you doing in those classes?" Hermione asked, turning to her friend.

Green eyes rolled and the boy tried to hide behind his potions book. "Shh, Harry studying."

Draco glared at the girl. "Hey, no interrupting." He glanced back at the letter. "Wait. How'd he get your schedule, Harry? Only parents and guardians are supposed to have access to those."

The boy-who-lived shrugged. "Why does Voldemort always wait until the end of the year to attack? People care about my education."

A giggle from across the common room told them a young Weasley girl was currently eavesdropping.

Draco glared over his shoulder at the intruder. "Now, where was I? Oh, here it is.

"You know, I was just talking to Severus the other day about your defense class. He said the professor was a farce. Knowing Lockhart, I tend to agree. Do you feel you're being adequately prepared?"

"Of course, we're not," Fred said, jumping over the couch and landing on a cushion. "Lockhart's an idiot."

"Yeah," George said, sitting on the couch arm. "Who's asking?"

Harry sighed. "My overbearing mother."

"A werewolf for a mother and a convict for a father. Quite the family you have there, Potter," Draco said, pressing his lips together to hold in a giggle.

Harry playfully punched his shoulder. "Like you're one to talk."

"Good point." The blond held up a finger. "I have Death Eater One, Death Eater Two, and Death Eater Three…although Death Eater Three isn't really a Death Eater anymore."

"No, he's just a triple spy." Hermione furrowed her brow. "Or a quadruple spy." She growled. "See, even I've lost count!"

The girl threw the book she was reading, crossing her arms over her chest. Harry picked it up, examining the cover.

"Still trying to figure out the communicators?" he asked, handing the book back to her.

She nodded. "I think I almost got it. Wait, I need to get one more book."

The young Gryffindor jumped up and ran out of the common room.

"Should we follow her?" Harry asked, brow creasing.

"Might as well," Draco said, shrugging. "We know where she's going, but I highly doubt it's just one more book. She might need help carrying them all."

They both nodded in agreement as they headed out of the room. They turned and walked in the direction of the library.

"Oof," Draco said, rubbing his chest. He glared at the blonde girl looking up at him "What's with everyone running into me?"

Harry snickered. "Hi Luna, find any nargles yet?"

She smiled at him. "Sadly, no. Have you?"

He shook his head. "Nah, but I've been pretty busy with my friend here." He pointed to the ex-Slytherin. "This is Draco Malfoy."

"I can introduce myself, scarhead," the blond boy said, glaring. He held out his hand. "I'm Draco Malfoy."

Luna stared at the hand for a moment.

"I know you are," she replied taking and shaking it vigorously. "I'm Luna Lovegood."

"So I've heard," Draco said, rolling his eyes. "It's nice to meet you, Luna."

"Nice to meet you, Draco Malfoy. I'm glad the blubbering humdingers that follow your father around decided to ignore you."

Blubbering humdingers, the ex-Slytherin mouthed. He quirked a brow at Harry.

The boy smiled. "Would you like to go to the library with my friend Draco and me? Our other friend Hermione might need some help carrying books."

The young Ravenclaw tilted her head.

"Sure, maybe we'll find some nargles along the way." She turned towards the library.

Silver eyes rolled and stared into green ones.

"Come on, this will be fun," Harry said, following her.

"It better be, lover boy." The blond hit his friend upside the head.

The boy-who-lived blushed as they walked through the library doors.

Upon entering, they found Hermione at the checkout counter. As it turned out, she did only need one more book. She smiled triumphantly, holding it up. Both boys rolled their eyes.

The young Ravenclaw walked over, smiling. "Hi, I'm Luna Lovegood."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Hermione Granger," the young Gryffindor said, holding out her hand. Luna took it.

"Ah, so sweet. Our girls are getting along," Draco said, elbowing his friend in the ribs.

Harry scowled.

"Oh, Harry, Draco," Hermione said, turning to the boys, "I'll need a galleon from each of you."

Draco fished in his robe pocket and pulled out a coin, dropping it in his friends hand. Harry did the same, dropping two coins.

Hermione's brow furrowed.

For Luna, he mouthed, eyeing the blonde Ravenclaw with interest as her eyes roved over the nearest bookcase.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Fine." She pocketed the galleons and ran off to the room of requirement.

FPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFP

"A Weasley jumper?" Draco screeched, throwing the homemade gift onto his bed.

Harry smirked. "Welcome to the fam." He held up his own. "By the end of last time around, I had enough to make a quilt."

The blond sighed. "I should be grateful, I guess."

"Yes, you should."

The ex-Slytherin sighed. "I'm not even friends with any of them."

"You're on the team with the twins," the boy-who-lived said, shrugging.

"Do you seriously believe that's the reason why they gave you one?"

"No," Harry said with a sigh, "but I can pretend."

Draco scrunched his nose. "You should probably tell Ronald that you're not going to be his friend."

"Why destroy a potential alliance, O great tactical Slytherin?"

"He betrayed you to the dark lord for kicks and giggles."

Harry shook his head. His haul this year had increased significantly. There was the obligatory Weasley sweater (to be fair, he did send them something in return this year, if only for the sake of the twins), but that wasn't all.

He received a big box of chocolates from Remus, with a note not to spoil his dinner. It ended with the wolf promising to stop by later in the week to check on him. The boy shook his head. If this didn't end soon, Remus would start checking him for scrapes and bruises every time he saw the man.

Draco got him a Quidditch book. Along with it came a present from Professor Snape. In it was a journal, a picture of his mother, and a "Potions for Dummies" book. The last gift was a little unfair; he'd tied for first place with Hermione and Draco since he first arrived. In the end, the title was deceiving. The text wasn't so much a how-to for novices, but something that explained more behind potion theory and a few other things he never quite understood. He had to admit, it was a good gift.

Hermione had gotten him a book on how to fight dragons. Harry snickered before doubling over, dropping on the floor with laughter. Yes, this would be a good thing to have, albeit it was a bit early for them to be thinking of dragon-taming. They had all of next year to get through before he even had to think of dragons, merpeople, and mazes.

His eyes widened as he unwrapped the last big present. Sure, he had gotten Luna a necklace, but he'd gotten that months before he even introduced himself, back in Diagon Alley. The Ravenclaw-on the other hand-had taken the time since their meeting to fashion him his own pair of "nargle hunting" glasses. He shook his head. The blonde was too good for him.

His next present wasn't wrapped in pretty paper, but rather came in the form from a letter from Gringotts. In it, details concerning his inheritance poured out. He had five full vaults (his brow scrunched. From what Draco said a couple months ago, each vault could hold millions of pounds), stock in several wizarding companies (including one specializing in quidditch supplies), and multiple properties (not counting Godric's Hollow). His brow rose as he read the list-it included 4 Privet Drive. Well, that was interesting.

As he finished throwing away the gift wrapping, Hermione burst into the boys' dorm.

"I did it! I did it!" She handed both of them watches made from the galleons they'd given her. She herself was wearing a galleon necklace and held another in her hand for Luna.

"They work?" Draco asked, brow creased.

"It's Hermione. Of course, they work," Harry said as he wrapped the band around his wrist.

Hermione crossed her arms, tapping her index finger on her bicep. "Well, then?" Both boys nodded their approval. "Let's go give this last one to Luna."

The three raced down the corridors to the Ravenclaw Tower, dodging multiple professors and a handful of students that had remained behind. They ran up the steps, pausing to catch their breath as they reached the top. They knocked on the door. It swung open.

"Excuse me?" Cho Chang glared at the trio.

"Uhm…" Draco stared at the girl, mouth agape.

"Do you know what time it is?"

"8:30 in the morning?" Hermione asked, brow furrowed.

"Exactly. It's study time."

"Oh."

Harry rolled his eyes. "We didn't mean to interrupt your precious study date. We just came to see Luna."

The girl scrunched her nose. "Loony?"

"Can you get her?" he asked through gritted teeth.

She sighed, turning her back to the group.

Luna bounded out moments later. "Happy Christmas!"

Harry smiled. "Happy Christmas, Luna." He grabbed her hand and ran down the stairs, his friends forced to follow.

"Where are we going?"

"Our secret place," Hermione said, panting as she tried to catch her breath. She watched Harry pace back and forth. "Only we know about it."

The door opened and the four walked through.

"Oh, the Come and Go room," Luna said, eyes scanning the new set up. "I've heard of this place from the house elves. Lovely bunch of folk they are, wouldn't you agree, Harry?"

Harry nodded.

"They sure are, Luna." He pulled out the galleon necklace. "Luna, we have a present for you."

"But Harry, you already got me a necklace."

Silver eyes sparkled as their owner dropped to their floor, giggling.

"No, Draco, I don't have a crush on anybody. I just feel bad for the girl."

Green eyes glared at him. "Well, it's the truth."

The Ravenclaw stared at the necklace. "What does it do?"

"It's a communicator," Hermione said. She tilted her head down toward it. "You can use it to call us whenever you need us."

The group gawked as her voice echoed from the coin.

"Thank you, Hermione, Harry, Draco. But," the blonde handed the galleon back to Harry, "you don't have to add me into your group. I understand if you don't want me along for the ride."

"No," Harry said, pushing the necklace away. "You're not just along for the ride. You're our friend."

Draco rolled his eyes. "We've only talked to her once before."

Harry sighed. "Well, she's still my friend." He turned to the girl. "We would love for you to join our group, Luna."

"But, Harry…"

"Hey," the green-eyed boy lowered his voice, whispering into his friend's ear. "If you get your 'girlfriend', then I get mine."

A knock on the door echoed through the room, interrupting Draco's next comment.

"How rude," the blond said, glaring.

Hermione rolled her eyes and rose from her spot on the couch. She answered the knock.

"Oh, Remus, you're here."

Harry smiled. He walked over to Remus.

"Hi, Remus,"

The werewolf caught his pseudo-godson up in a big hug.

"Good to see you, Harry." Harry's hair muffled the man's greeting. He pulled the boy away. "How is school? Are you getting good grades? Getting enough sleep? How about food?"

Harry grimaced.

"Yes, Remus. School is going well. I am getting good grades. I get plenty of sleep." Well, when Wood wasn't getting them up at five in the morning. "And yes, Remus, I'm eating all my fruits and vegetables."

The lycanthrope nodded.

"Good." He turned to the rest of the group. "Good afternoon, Draco. Are things going well for you, as well?"

"Yes, sir."

"Grades still decent?"

The blond smirked. "Yes, sir."

Remus nodded. "And who might you be?" he asked, smiling to Luna. She offered her hand.

"Luna Lovegood."

"Daughter of Xeno Lovegood?" Remus shook her hand. She nodded. "I was sorry to hear about your mother. She was a good woman.

"Thank you, sir. She was."

"I'm Remus Lupin, by the way."

"Very nice to meet you, Mr. Lupin."

"Please, call me Remus. I'm not your professor or anything like that."

Harry, Draco, and Hermione snickered.

For the rest of the afternoon, Remus regaled them with tales from his time at Hogwarts. He told them many stories of Christmases past where the Marauders played pranks on unsuspecting Slytherins.

"So, you see, I convinced my one friend to...take his pet rat-yeah, that works-to take his pet rat down into the dungeons and set him loose during a Ravenclaw/Slytherin potions class."

"Ravenclaw/Slytherin?" the blond asked, brow quirked. "See, that would make more sense for a potions class than Gryffindor/Slytherin."

"You share your potions class with the Snakes?" the man grimaced. "Oof, that's just asking for trouble."

"I know."

"Anyway…" Luna said, motioning for the story to continue.

"Oh, right. So, he let his...pet rat loose...and it dropped something very interesting into this one snake's cauldron…"

"Which snake?"

Draco's eyes narrowed. "Let me guess. Is this Slytherin now a professor?"

Remus blushed, averting his eyes. "Needless to say, there was a massive explosion that left several students in the hospital wing for a few days."

Harry glared. "So, you let them hurt other students?"

"Listen," the man sighed. "I'm not proud of it. I was more concerned with keeping my friends than doing what was right. If I were to go back now, I'd change that."

The two boys sat scowling at the werewolf.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Look what I made." She held up the galleon communicator.

"What is it?" the man asked, taking it from the girl and rubbing it between his fingers.

"Watch." She took it back and spoke into the coin. "Professor Lupin would be an awesome teacher." Her voice echoed loud and clear from the other end.

"A magical walkie-talkie," Remus said, blushing. "And thank you for your vote of confidence, Miss Granger. However, I don't see the school employing anyone like me."

"You never know."

He turned the coin over a few times. "I must say, I'm impressed. A second year able to create a magical communication device?" He ran a hand through his hair. "It took Sirius and James four more years before they even considered this."

Hermione preened with the praise. Draco huffed. He scrunched his nose and looked over at Harry.

The boy-who-lived shrugged. "You get used to it."

"Well, at least you can talk to us when you're in detention." Harry glared. "It's true."


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: All familiar content is from _The Chamber of Secrets_ pg. 301-305

The Chamber of Secrets

"Hey Harry," Ron said, falling onto the couch next to the boy-who-lived. "I've been thinking."

Harry took a deep breath. He glanced over at his friend.

"Well, that explains the smoke coming out of your ears," the blond said, smirking.

"What were you thinking, Ron?" Harry asked, his lips trembling. He really shouldn't laugh.

"One of the Slytherins have to be the heir of Slytherin, right?" the redhead asked.

"Not so, Weasel-o," Draco said, turning back to his charms essay.

"Really, Malfoy? I guess you'd know…"

"Shut up, Weasley."

"I'm just saying…"

"Ron," Harry said, turning the redhead toward him, "what made you bring this up?"

"Well," the boy said, crossing his arms, "I was going to say that they're a pretty tight-lipped bunch."

"You'd be, too, if everyone always accused you of everything," the blond mumbled under his breath.

"What's your point, Ron?" Green eyes stared at the young Weasley.

"They'll only talk to their own, right?" The other two Gryffindors nodded in agreement. "Well, then, I say we disguise ourselves and infiltrate the Slytherin common room."

"Ooh, infiltrate. That's a big word, Weasely," Draco said as Hermione sat down next to him. "Where'd you learn that one?"

Ron shrugged. "I already discussed some of this plan with Percy."

"What plan?" the young Gryffindor girl asked, quirking a brow.

"Percy suggested polyjuice…"

"No."

Red eyebrows furrowed. "Why not, Granger?"

"For any list of reasons," Hermione said, holding up her hand. "We don't have all the ingredients. It takes months to brew. It's illegal. Really, any one would make a fine deterrent on its own."

"Percy says that Snape has all the necessary supplies…"

"I am not stealing from my godfather," Draco said, glaring up at the redhead. "And if you try, I'll tell him."

Ron looked desperately at Harry. "Will you help me?"

"Ron," the boy-who-lived said, sighing, "it's not a good idea. Hermione's right-it's illegal. Not to mention it's dangerous."

"Whatever." The redhead pouted. He stared into the fire for a few minutes. "Ready for the quidditch game tomorrow?"

Draco and Harry smirked.

"We were born ready.

The next day, the two boys ran out of the boys' locker room. Within moments, they were on their brooms and flying around the pitch, giggling their heads off. Draco surveyed the crowd, coming over and elbowing his friend.

"Hey, look, mummy dearest is here."

Green eyes followed the pointed finger to find Remus Lupin sitting next to Hermione. He shoved the blond back.

"Go back to your ball, Ferret."

Harry smiled. He never thought he'd have someone like a parent watching him at his games. It meant so much to him. Did the werewolf know?

In the bleachers, Hermione sat down next to Remus. She snuck a peek at the man, smiling. He was sitting on the edge of his seat, his hands curled into fists. Did he know how much his support meant to her friend?

"What are you so nervous about?" Hermione asked, patting the lycanthrope on the back. "Harry's done this thousands of times."

Remus furrowed his brow and glanced at her.

"He's only a second year. How could he have done this a thousand times?"

Hermione scrunched her nose, tilting her head.

"It's just a figure of speech?"

He shrugged, returning his attention to his pseudo-godson.

"It was bad enough when it was James and Sirius out there. I can't stand watching Harry get hurt, too."

"Well at least you weren't here when he was hit by the rogue bludger."

"Not making me feel better."

A roar rippled through the crowd as Harry caught the snitch and the Gryffindor team won the Quidditch Cup for the second year in a row. The boy flew down to the ground, meeting Remus at the pitch.

"You're even better at flying than James was, Harry!"

The boy blushed. "Thank you."

"I better get going. I'll see you at King's Cross Station?"

Harry grinned and nodded. "Sure, I'll be there!"

"Of course, you're going to be there, Harry. What else were you going to do? Ride the train all summer?" Draco asked, patting his friend on the back.

Harry batted his friend's shoulder.

"Don't suggest that. It's tempting."

Draco rolled his eyes.

Later that night, Harry and Draco sat in the common room, enjoying the fire while studying for final exams. Hermione came down and was about to join them, when they saw Ginny walk out of Gryffindor Tower in a daze.

"Maybe I should follow her," Hermione suggested.

Harry and Draco nodded.

"Be careful," the blond said.

Hermione cocked her head to one side.

"When am I not careful?" Draco quirked a brow. "Okay, fine. I'll be very careful."

She walked out of the tower.

"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked an hour later. "Surely, she can't still be looking for Ginny. She literally left right after the girl and it's not that big of a castle."

Draco huffed. "We should probably go look for her."

Harry nodded.

They left the common room and began to walk toward the second-floor girls' bathroom. When they got there, they had to maneuver their way through another sea of students. They finally got to the center of the commotion and stopped cold. There, laying on the ground petrified, was Hermione.

"No!" Draco and Harry shouted together. This wasn't supposed to happen this time around. She was supposed to be safe. They scanned the crowd for Ginny. She wasn't there. The wall dripped with blood that read, "Her body will forever lay in the Chamber of Secrets".

Harry sighed.

"Let's go get Lockhart."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "Why? He's useless." He threw his hands in the air. "He's not important, no matter what he says."

"So, why not use him as bait?" Harry suggested.

Draco grinned. They raced to the DADA office, where they found Lockhart packing.

"What are you doing?" Harry grabbed onto his professor's sleeve. "Aren't you going to save her?" he asked, his voice cracking. Even if he didn't love her, Ginny didn't deserve to die.

"Yes, pity, that," Lockhart said, not looking up from his suitcases. "I could have saved her, but I was called away to another dangerous situation, uh…involving a dragon. I'm sure your other professors have the problem under control."

Draco snorted. "You don't go and save the little Weaslette now and you'll have a whole different Dragon problem on your hands." The professor blushed. "Not such a big shot when there's actual danger, are you now?" The blond sneered. " _Expelliarmus_."

"Shouldn't have let Professor Snape teach us that spell," Harry said, smirking.

They led a disheveled Lockhart to the second-floor. They made their way to the girls' bathroom, where water was all over the floor. Ron rushed over to them.

"Harry!" the boy shouted, tears running down his face. "They took Ginny! She's missing!" He shook the bespectacled boy. "I have to help her, Harry! She's my little sister."

The boy-who-lived sighed. In that moment, he felt pity for Ron. If he had a younger sibling, he'd feel the same way as the redhead did right now.

"Come with us. We're going to find her. We think we know where the entrance is."

Ron nodded vigorously.

They stared at the row of sinks in the girls' bathroom.

Draco's brow creased.

"Here? Of all the places it could have been, it's here?"

Harry nodded. He walked over to the sink with the snake engraved on the side of the faucet. " _:Open:_ "

The sink rumbled, sliding away to reveal a hole in the floor. A slide appeared underneath where the sink used to be.

Lockhart backed away. "Well, I see you don't need me, anymore. I'll just…"

"Go first? I agree." Draco grabbed Lockhart and pushed him down the hole.

The professor screamed.

"Is he dead?" Ron asked, staring into the darkness.

Draco shrugged.

"One way to find out." He jumped and slid to the ground. "Not dead, just passed out."

Harry glanced at Ron.

"You go next. I'll stay behind to make sure the sink doesn't close on you."

Ron nodded and jumped down the slide himself.

"Oof." Harry heard. He smirked

"Seriously, Weasley. Haven't you ever heard of waiting until someone yells 'clear' before going down a dark slide?" Draco asked. Harry laughed, holding his midsection. "Clear!"

Harry slid down the slide.

Draco turned, surveying the chamber. "We must be miles under the school."

"Under the lake, probably," Ron said, going over to touch one of the walls. He pulled his hand away, grimacing at the algae stuck to his fingers.

"Lumos," Harry said. His wand lit up. "C'mon." He glared into the impending darkness. "The quicker we save Ginny, the quicker we get out of here."

"What a lovely sentiment, scarhead," Draco said, smirking.

They started walking.

"Remember, any sign of movement, close your eyes right away…" Harry said, facing Draco. He didn't mind Ron turning into a stone statue, but he didn't want to see his best friend die at the hands of snake Medusa.

"Harry-there's something up there-" said Draco, nodding towards a shadowy figure. They moved closer.

"Maybe it's asleep," Ron said, leaning to examine the basilisk skin.

"Nope," Harry said, shaking his head, "it just shed."

"Blimey…"

Lockhart fainted.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Get up, Drama Queen."

The professor got to his feet, diving at Ron and tackling him to the ground.

"The adventure ends here, boys!" he said. "I shall take a bit…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Harry said, waving. "You're gonna try to convince the school you attempted to save Ginny, but it was too late and the three of us went mad when we found the body. Just get to the part where you try to curse us already."

Lockhart's eyes narrowed and his jaw dropped. He shrugged. Using Ron's wand, he moved to obliviate the boys. The spell bounced, hitting the man square in the head. With the force of the explosion, the ceiling collapsed. Sealed off from the other three, Harry sighed.

"Are you three okay?"

"Yes," Draco yelled. The rocks muffled his voice. "Lockhart seems to have obliviated himself."

"Any luck Ron went with him?"

There was silence.

"No." Draco's voice rang back a moment later. "We weren't so lucky. He just hit his head on some debris. He woke up and he seems to remember everything."

"Harry," Ron called out, "save Ginny, please."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Harry mumbled under his breath. "Save us, Harry. Kill the git, Chosen One. But does anyone ask how I feel about their demands? No."

He headed on through the tunnel. He approached the wall, hissing a command to open. He slid through, the secret passage closing again.

Upon seeing Ginny's prone form, he ran. He'd forgotten how bad the girl looked. He dropped to his knees, checking her pulse. They'd spent a few extra minutes in all that nonsense. Hopefully, it hadn't cost the girl her life.

The boy-who-lived sighed. Ginny's pulse was still there, weak and thready. He rolled his eyes. Yes, Hermione had taught him that term. Why he felt the need to use it in his own head was beyond him.

"Expelliarmus."

Harry's wand flew to the teenage Riddle. The Slytherin stood, leaning against a column, now twirling the stolen wand in his fingers.

"Give that back, Riddle."

"So," the teen dark lord said, smirking, "you remember me?"

"Yeah, Tim, I remember you...the half-blood with daddy issues."

Dark eyes flashed. "It's not Tim. It's Tom."

"Whatever." Green eyes rolled, peeking back at Ginny. She was still breathing. Good.

"And how do you know about my filthy muggle father?" Riddle asked, scowling.

Harry shrugged. "I know a lot of things, Tim." He stood up. "I know you're a half-blood. I know you cheated death. I know about the ring in the Gaunt hovel."

The Slytherin's eyes widened. "What? How?"

Harry shrugged again. "Your dad and I get together for tea and scones once a month."

The Gryffindor shivered at Riddle's grimace. Sure, it was a lie. But if he could make the boy believe this, he'd want to hear more. And hopefully, that would give Fawkes plenty of time to come to Harry's aid.

"But...how? I killed him." Tom's brow furrowed. "At least, I planned to."

"Yeah, your dad and I have a special group. We call it 'the people-who-lived' club. We both survived your stupid Avada."

"But...but…"

Green eyes rolled. "Seriously? You believe that, Tim? You're too gullible."

"Once again, it's not Tim. It's Tom." The boy scowled. "And it's not Tom. It's Lord Voldemort."

The Slytherin flicked his wand, and his name appeared.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Harry waved his hand. "I know. Your stupid anagram. You really are self-absorbed."

The heir of Slytherin lunged at the Gryffindor Golden boy.

"Ah, ah, ah," Harry said, shaking his finger. "Really, Tim? You're going to stoop to muggle methods of attack? I really thought better of you."

"Well, if it's a magical end you want…"

"Nah, I'm fine." He paused, scanning the ground for any stray basilisk teeth. He'd rather not risk his life more than he had to. "Actually, while I'm here, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

Riddle rubbed his eyes. "What might that be, Potter?"

"Okay, so I know that there are several enchantments on the ring. Some of them are pretty nasty." Harry shivered. "I was just wondering if you'd give me a clue or two as to how to deactivate those." He wriggled his fingers. "I don't take too kindly to losing a hand."

Riddle sighed. "I'm going to call the basilisk now."

A trill echoed through the chamber.

"Go ahead."

Harry spent the next ten minutes running from a blind basilisk. He really hated his life sometimes. The sorting hat dropped, revealing the sword of Gryffindor. The boy smiled, grabbing it right before he stabbed the Medusa snake through the skull.

"Ha! I've bested you yet." Riddle smirked, eyes sparkling at the sight of the basilisk fang protruding from Harry's skin. "Can you feel it, Potter? The poison penetrating…"

Harry rolled his eyes, taking the fang and stabbing the diary.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm done with you," the Gryffindor said, stabbing it again. "If you won't be of anymore use, then it's time for you to go."

Ginny gasped, rising to a sitting position.

"Harry?"

Green eyes rolled. "Yes, Ginny?"

"You saved me."

"Yes, I did."

The young Weasley girl lunged, latching onto Harry's small frame. He sighed.

"Come on. Your brother's waiting for us with Lockhart and Draco. I do want to find my friend in one piece."

"What about your arm?"

Green eyes stared at the large gash. "Oh, yeah." He turned to the phoenix. "Fawkes? A little help here."

Ron and Draco glared at Lockhart. He smiled, waving. The blond sighed, surveying the rubble for any sign of weakness.

"Great, just great. If you had just kept your wand out of reach, Weasley, none of this would have happened!"

Ron crossed his arms. "Me? You're the one who brought Lockhart along."

"Who's Lockhart?" the man himself asked.

Draco facepalmed. "An idiot who's probably more qualified to teach DADA now than he was before."

"That's not very nice."

"Fine. He's no one."

"Hmm." Lockhart nodded, accepting the answer. "Is this your house?" His eyes hovered over the two Gryffindors. "Are you two a couple?"

"No!"

"I think you two would make a lovely one, though. You two just need to work out your problems."

"I'll have you know I am in love with a _girl_." Draco placed his hands on his hips.

"Who'd you Imperious to get to like you, Malfoy?"

"Ignore him," the blond muttered to himself. "All we have to do is stay calm and wait for Harry."

"There's three of you?" Lockhart wriggled his eyebrows. "That's kinky."

"Ugh!" Draco grunted, holding his head in his hands.

"I think you should redecorate." Draco pounded his head into one of the cave walls. The DADA professor turned to the redhead. "The blond one is a bit uptight, isn't he?"

"You have no idea."

"Draco!" Harry called, shifting Ginny's weight in his arms.

"Harry! Everything alright?" the blond asked, running over to the pile of rocks.

"Did you get Ginny?" Ron asked, standing up.

"Nice sentiment, Weasley. Don't concern yourself with the boy who risked his life to save your idiot sister…"

"Hey…"

"How do you think we can get through?" Harry asked, successfully staving off further argument.

Draco tilted his head. "Stay clear of the rock pile." There was shuffling on the other side of the mound. "Are you away from the wall?"

"Yes," Harry replied.

"Kneel down and put your head between your arms for protection." When Draco was sure his friend would be safe, he used a _Bombarda_ to blast through the rock pile and make a hole in the wall. Harry picked up Ginny and walked through the pathway unharmed.

"How did you know that spell, Malfoy? Daddy teach it to you?" Ron sneered.

"What a lovely window," Lockhart said, peering into the hole, "though there's not much of a view."

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Come on. Let's get Weaselette to the hospital wing and Lockhart to St. Mungo's."

"Who's Lockhart?" Lockhart repeated as they all made their way out of the chamber.


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: All familiar content is from _The Chamber of Secrets_ pg. 133-136

Severus Confronts Harry

After they got Ginny to the hospital wing, Harry, Draco, and Ron raced to Dumbledore's office. They stared at the gargoyle; it's stony form obstructed their path.

"Damn. What's his password?" Draco asked, turning to Harry.

"I don't remember." Green eyes glanced at Ron. "Quick. Think of a candy."

"Uhm, Chocolate Frogs?"

"No, too mundane."

"He likes sherbert lemons."

Draco shook his head. "Just start yelling out candy."

"Pumpkin pasties."

"Chocolate cauldrons."

"Nerds." The two purebloods stared at Harry. The boy shrugged.  
"I meant muggle candy."

"Ah," a voice said, pulling them out of their hysterics. Dumbledore stood at the entryway, eyes twinkling. "Harry. Ron. Mr. Malfoy." The blond glared. "I was hoping you'd join me. Please, come in and take a seat."

The three sat, staring down at the ground.

"Ginny didn't do it," Ron said, his eyes never leaving the floor.

"Oh, I never thought she did."

Harry sighed, glancing up. He stared defiantly into blue, sparkling eyes.

"It was Riddle…"

The door burst open.

"Harry!" Remus grabbed Harry pulled him into a hug. "Thank God you're alright!" He held the boy at arm's length, inspecting him. Draco snickered. "Did you cut yourself? Are you hurt? Oh, Harry you had me scared to death!"

Harry blushed. "How do you even know what happened, Remus?"

"Professor McGonagall firecalled me as soon as you were out of the Chamber. What were you thinking, young man?" Remus hugged him again. "I can't lose another Potter."

"If you need some help finding them, I have an idea of where they might be." Draco smirked at his own pun.

Amber eyes glared at the blond. The man opened his mouth.

The door flew open for a second time. Lucius ran through, waving a piece of parchment in the air.

"Good evening, Lucius," Dumbledore said, smirking.

"Headmaster, I am here to relieve you of your position. There is clearly something dangerous occurring at the castle and you have done nothing to stop it."

"Hey, that could be the plot of a kid's book series." Draco muttered.

Harry scrunched his nose. "Sounds like an awful series." The blond shrugged.

"I have here," Lucius held up the parchment again, "a signed petition from the members of the board, relieving you of your current duties until everything is resolved."

"Actually Lucius, things have already been resolved," the headmaster said, his eyes glittering in delight.

"What?"

"Harry just saved the day by stopping the monster that was attacking our students from within the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Snape is right now administering the mandrake potion to the petrified students. All is well, and Hogwarts is safe."

Lucius sputtered. "Harry Potter? And the Chamber of Secrets?"

"And that could be our title," Draco said. Remus chuckled.

"Yes," the headmaster said, staring reproachfully at the three giggling Gryffindors in the corner. "It seems Mr. Potter was able to defeat the basilisk and stop the person responsible."

"You caught the culprit?" Lucius asked, eyes widening.

"The same person as last time, Lucius. Except this time," Dumbledore held up the destroyed horcrux, "Lord Voldemort was acting through someone else by the means of this diary. Do you recognize it?"

"Why, I never…"

"I only ask because it was found in the possession of one Ginevra Weasley, and as it is no secret you despise…"

"Dumbledore, I suggest you keep your comments to yourself." Lucius spun on his heels, motioning to his house elf. "Come along, Dobby."

Harry turned to the headmaster. "Professor Dumbledore, do you mind if I keep the diary? You know, as a trophy?"

The old man shrugged, handing him the horcrux. The boy smiled.

"Draco, do you have an extra sock?"

The blond furrowed his brow. "What? No."

"Fine," Harry said, rolling his eyes. He slipped off his shoe and then his sock. "Come with me."

The two boys ran down the stairs, calling after the rogue death eater.

"What?" Lucius said, spinning on the spot. Harry smirked as the man's robe spun out around him, much like the train of a long dress. Did the older man know he'd make a lovely princess?

"Father, you forgot something," Draco said, taking the diary from Harry and giving it to Lucius.

"Draconus, I am very disappointed in you."

The younger Malfoy shrugged. "I know."

Lucius handed the diary to Dobby. Both boys smirked. Harry motioned for the house elf to open it.

"Master has given Dobby a sock," the elf said, eyes widening as he helped up the smelly article of clothing.

"What?" Malfoy asked, brow creased. "I never…"

"Master has given Dobby a sock. Dobby is free."

The death eater turned to Harry. "You cost me my servant. You better watch out or…"

"I'll meet the same sticky end as my parents?" Harry asked, glaring.

The man growled. He held up his wand. "Avada…"

Draco's eyes widened in horror and he jumped in front of his friend. Dobby jumped in front of both of them, raising his hand. Lucius flew in the air and hit the wall behind him.

"You will not hurt Harry Potter or Draco Malfoy," Dobby said. He crossed his arms over his chest.

The man stood up, brushing off his cloak.

"Everything alright there, Lucius?" Remus asked, coming up behind the two boys. He smirked at the man's dishevelled hair. "Is there a problem?"

"No problem," the man said, grimacing as he bent to grab his cane.

"You trip?"

"Shut up."

Lucius stood back up and walked away. The two boys snickered before Draco turned and engulfed Harry in a hug.

"He almost killed you."

Remus's eyes widened. "What?"

"It's nothing that hasn't happened before," Harry said, shrugging and picking up the diary Dobby had thrown in his excitement.

"What?"

The blond shook his head. "Not now, Mr. Lupin."

"Again, Draco…"

"Lupin?" a voice drawled. The trio glanced up to see Professor Snape stalking over to them. "What are you doing here?"

"Harry needed me," the wolf said, moving to the boy's side. "He was in danger."

"There's never a time when he wasn't." The potions professor rubbed his eyes. "Mr. Potter, would you please come with me?"

Remus stepped forward. "Is it something I need to know about, Severus?"

"No, Lupin." The dark man shook his head. "This is a matter I must discuss with Mister Potter alone."

"It's okay, Remus," Harry said, placing a hand on his arm. "I'll see you at King's Cross."

Remus gave Harry a hug before he helped Draco into the tower.

"Come with me." Professor Snape said, turning and heading toward the dungeons. Harry nodded his head and followed.

The boy's stomach churned. What could his potions professor want with him? Was this about the polyjuice? Harry shook his head. They hadn't made polyjuice this time around. Why would the man want to talk to him about that?

He focused on the stone walls, counting to see how many cracks there were between the seventh floor and the dungeons. Then, when he found that Hogwarts kept better care of itself than most ancient stone buildings and there were no cracks, he began counting suits of armor. Anything other than trying to come up with and categorize every single thing he'd done wrong in the past.

"What did you need to speak to me about, professor?" Harry asked, holding his hands behind his back.

The professor sighed.

"Mister Potter, it has come to my attention that your home life is less than stellar."

The boy furrowed his brow. "And how did you come by this information?"

"By the power of observation, Mister Potter." Professor Snape sniffed, glancing down at his desk. "You are far too skinny. You flinch when your friends touch you. At my house, you were far too quiet and polite." He paused. "Not that being polite is a bad thing, but no matter what, no twelve-year-old can behave that well all the time."

Harry shrugged. "So? I was raised right."

"You mentioned you were living with Petunia," Professor Snape continued. "I know she hates magic, and I have no doubt she would at the very least neglect you. I never would have placed you there with her. And I can't imagine she would marry someone any nicer. Her taste in men was deplorable when I was fifteen. She doesn't strike me as one who would change."

"You got me there."

"Above all," the man smiled wickedly, "you came to me asking for information about your mother and grandparents, which means she neglected to tell you anything about your past herself."

"All of this led you to abuse?" Harry asked. "My family doesn't like to dwell on the past. You could imagine how painful it is."

"An anonymous source mentioned they'd seen your body covered in scars and bruises-old and new."

"Who's this anonymous source?"

"A little birdie."

Green eyes narrowed. "Was it Draco?"

"He did casually mention-during his glorious retelling of the great rescue over the summer-a few disconcerting things: the fact there were bars on only your window, locks on your door, a cat flap for food, less than adequate nutrition. I can only imagine the kind of life you live with your deplorable aunt." Professor Snape growled. "I want you to know that if you're ever concerned for your safety, you can contact me."

"Really?" Harry asked, jaw dropping.

The potions professor crossed his arms. "I should go to Dumbledore for this." He shook his head. "But I am under the impression that my concerns will be ignored. I think you should also tell Lupin of your living situation. I know he wouldn't stand for you living like you do."

The boy smiled, eyes sparkling. "Thank you, sir,"

"You're welcome." Harry turned to leave. Professor Snape placed a hand on his shoulder, effectively stopping him. "And Mister Potter, try and have a decent holiday."

"I'll try, sir."

The following week, Harry, Draco, and Hermione boarded the Hogwarts Express, laughing merrily. They had invited Luna to join them in their carriage, and she happily agreed. The trio had helped her find all of the things her housemates had hid over the year, and Harry had warned the Ravenclaws that he would not stand for them bullying poor Luna.

The train ride seemed shorter this time, knowing who was waiting for him at the station. Harry smiled. He was blessed, no doubt. Not only did he have someone who came to all his Quidditch games, he also had someone waiting for him at King's Cross.

"Excited for this next year?" Hermione whispered, eyes sparkling.

Harry grinned.

"Absolutely. I plan to make communication with him early and often."

"Doesn't Black escape this year?" Draco asked, his eyes intently fixed on the book he was reading.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Who else did you think we're talking about?"

"I don't know! Lupin also teaches this year."

"Why do you think Professor Lupin teaches this year?"

"You mean the only reason Dumbledore offered him a job was because his best friend was on the loose?" The blond scrunched his nose. "I just thought he'd gone completely bonkers after Lockhart and hired a werewolf as a social experiment."

Harry glared.

"Remus is a good teacher! If I had it my way, he would have been our last teacher for DADA." The boy sighed. "I didn't have a lot of luck with DADA teachers after that. They all seemed to want to kill me."

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Don't be so melodramatic. Uncle Sev didn't want to kill you. He didn't want you anywhere near him, but he didn't want to kill you."

Severys poked his head out from under Draco sleeve. Hermione tilted her head.

"Did you take Severys to the Chamber of Secrets with you?" She asked incredulously.

"Of course, and he did a very good job protecting us from the bad old idiot. Didn't you, Sevvie." Draco scratched the snake under its jaw. Harry snickered.


	26. Chapter 26

Summertime

Harry jumped off the train and ran to the platform of 9 ¾ . He scanned the crowd, bouncing on his heels. He stopped and smiled as he caught sight of amber eyes sparkling back at him. He grinned and waved over to his 'mother'. Remus Lupin waved back, turning and saying something to the family of redheads before advancing toward Harry and his friends.

"And remember Harry, we have the galleons now so if _anything_ happens you just have to call." Hermione hugged her friend.

"Yes, 'Mione, I know." He sighed, letting go and facing his new friend. "Now Luna, don't forget to write. I'll gladly reply to any letters you send." Draco smirked and rolled his eyes.

"Of course, Harry," Luna said, eyes sparkling.

Arms circled the boy-who-lived from behind, squeezing. He jumped, swivelling.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Remus said, holding his arms in the air. "I didn't mean to scare you." He held the boy at arm's length, examining his body. "How were the last few days of school? Did you get hurt? Did you eat enough?"

"They were fine."

"Did anyone give you any trouble? What did Professor Snape want to talk to you about?"

"I'm _fine,_ really." Harry pushed himself away from his mentor. "Professor Snape just told me to contact him if anything got bad this summer."

"Got bad?"

"He's a spy. Between his own observations and Draco's, he figured out what's happening at home."

Remus scowled. "That reminds me, I want to have a word with that so-called family of yours." Amber eyes roamed over the crowd. "Where do you usually meet them?"

"If they actually show?" The boy shrugged. "We meet somewhere on the other side of the barrier."

"What do you mean if the actually show?" The werewolf grimaced. "Are they not coming?"

"Well, when Draco came to retrieve me, he may have told the Dursleys off. He said I wouldn't be coming back if it were up to him. I don't know if they think he has the authority to say so, but I have a feeling they won't be pleased either way."

Remus's nostrils flared and his brow furrowed.

"Well then, I'll have to take you back. What is your address?"

"Number Four Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey."

The wolf nodded and they walked to a spot where it would be safe to _Apparate_. When they got there, Remus took a calming deep breath. Then, he took another one. They walked up to the door of Number Four, Privet Drive and knocked.

"Now Harry, I think I will need you to stay here for a moment while I talk to your relatives."

The door opened, revealing a thin, horse-faced woman.

"Hello, Petunia," Remus said, his amber eyes dark.

Petunia's mouth dropped and she made to slam the door. The werewolf, with his animalistic reflexes, caught it with his hand and let himself in. "Interesting home." He scanned the room. "And I thought you would be living without one, judging by the way you dress Harry."

Her face reddened. "Get out! Get out and don't let Vernon know you're here, _freak._ "

"Oh, Vernon. That must be 'Uncle Vernon' then, yeah? Yes, do bring him here. I have more than a few words for him," Remus said, an underlying growl in his tone.

"What's going on here?" Vernon asked, waddling out from the living room. He scowled. "Who the heck are you?" He turned, glaring at Harry. "Freak! What are you doing here?"

"School ended," Harry said, standing tall. He shuffled his feet toward his mentor, moving behind him slightly.

"You're not welcome. Leave this instant."

Remus marched up to the man, grabbed him by the neck and pinned him to the wall.

"Who the heck are you calling freak?"

"Why you little…"

The wizard through Vernon down to the ground. "You're the disgrace to this world, _not_ Harry."

"Get out of my house," Petunia yelled, her finger pointed to the door.

"No, I won't. You're nothing but filth!" Vernon made to stand. "Now sit, so we can get a couple things straightened out." Remus _accio_ ed two chairs and stuck the Dursleys. A quick sticking charm ensured they would not move. "Alright, let's get one thing straight. Harry has no other choice but to live in this household. It's not his fault he's here. Stop treating him like he's imposing on you. He's not trying.

"You're not doing him a 'favor' by letting him live here. It's not your choice either-I get that. But do you even realize who he is in our world?" The two muggles glared. "He's a savior. No one would be here right now if it weren't for him, especially not muggles like you. He isn't 'lucky' that you give him your son's leftover clothing. He shouldn't be 'grateful' that you feed him every few couple of days, especially when you don't even give him a full meal.

"It's unfathomable that he didn't know his own name until he went to primary school. Who even does that? The fact he didn't know who or what his parents were is beyond scandalous." Remus shook his head. "I'm not even going to go there." He sighed, rubbing his eyes. "He isn't a freak."

"Of course he is," Petunia said, her nostrils flaring. "He's no better than that floozy mother of his."

"Your sister?" Remus asked, brow furrowed in incredulity. "Petunia, have you ever stopped to think what your parents would have thought of his treatment? He. Is. Your. Nephew. Not some orphan you're giving charity to." Amber eyes narrowed. "And what you give him is not charity, it's torture.

"Perhaps you think it's 'right' and 'justified' what you do to him, but could you imagine doing that to your own son? This isn't a random child, this is someone else's son. Your _sister's_ son. I know you hated her and anything to do with her, but that's only due to your own jealousy.

"Imagine if the circumstances were different and Harry wasn't a wizard. If Lily wasn't a witch. How would you have treated your orphaned nephew? How you treat this child isn't right. It's not justified. I'm not expecting you to treat him better than your son, but locking Harry up in a cupboard and not feeding him for days on end isn't even treating Harry like a human being. How are you setting a good example for Dudley?

"Not only that, but you treat him like a servant. You know what we call people like Harry in our world? A house elf. They're one of the most disrespected creatures in the wizarding world. How do you think the leader of our world would feel if you were treating his most beloved savior that way? He would put you on trial. A wizard trial. If you were found guilty, you would go to Azkaban. Do you know what is guarding Azkaban?" Petunia paled. Remus smirked. "You know, don't you?"

"Dementors." She whispered in horror.

"Exactly." He turned to the portly man. "Do you understand that Vernon? Do you see the terror on your wife's face? It won't matter if your muggles or not, they'll send you straight to Azkaban no second questions asked.

"Now, I'm willing to give you a second chance. When I leave Harry here, in your custody, I expect to hear he is happy, not to mention unharmed. I don't care if you lock Harry in his room upstairs, not under the cupboard, but I will see to it that he's eating full meals, not cans of cold soup. Do I make myself clear?" The Dursleys nodded. "I have no choice but to leave him here for now. If I see him at Kings Cross and he has one scratch, you will rue the day you ever touched a hair on Harry's head."

Harry's eyes widened as he stood in the background. Should he smile? Frown? Nod in agreement? He prefered to melt into the walls or become invisible.

Remus sighed and turned around to help Harry move his things upstairs. When they reached Harry's room, Remus frowned.

"This is your room?" The boy nodded. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised." The man rubbed his eyes. "What do you say we touch it up a bit? Hm?"

Harry chuckled

"Sure. What did you have in mind?"

The wolf muttered a spell and-in the blink of an eye-Harry's room transformed into a Gryffindor dorm room. His ratty bed grew, becoming softer before the grey sheets turned red and gold. His single flattened pillow multiplied and fluffed up. His desk expanded, and pencils and paper appeared on the top. Finally, Remus muttered an expansion charm on the room before casting a disillusionment charm on the doorway.

"There, better?" Harry grinned and hugged the lycanthrope. "Well, I should probably let the muggles go. Don't need the Ministry of Magic on my case for torturing muggles." The man scrunched his nose. "If they even touch you, Harry, don't refrain from writing me and/or Professor Snape."

"Yes, sir."

"Keep those friends of yours close. It'll help."

"I will, sir."

"If they aren't giving you enough to eat, I can send something, so tell me. Alright?"

Harry smiled "Of course, Remus." He reached out and hugged his mentor again. "I wish you didn't have to go. Well, I wish I didn't have to stay, but I'll be fine."

"Bye kiddo."

FPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFP

Harry sighed, rolling onto his bed.

"Harry. Come in, Harry," a voice said from the communicator.

The boy smirked. "Yes, Mione?"

"Just wanted to be the first to wish you a happy birthday."

Green eyes peeked at the closest clock. "Mione, it's not July 31st for another thirty minutes."

"I know," the girl said, her voice sparkling, "but today is also my day to check-in, remember? You owe me at least thirty minutes of conversation."

Harry shook his head. "Fine. How was your day, 'Mione?"

"It was fine. France is just as beautiful as it was last time."

"Did you see the Eiffel Tower?"

"Yesterday. I spent most of my time in their gift shop, though. They have a wide selection of books on the inspiration behind the piece."

"Only you, Mione," the boy sighed.

"How was your day, Harry?"

"The usual: I spent some time weeding. Marge comes tomorrow, so I had to vacuum and dust…"

"I thought Remus told those muggles that you weren't to be doing housework."

"He did." The boy's shoulders shrugged. "I don't mind doing chores, though. Since we did all of this before, my summer work was a breeze. I finished it two weeks ago."

"Harry, you should…"

"Put effort into my work, I know. And I did. I even added a few citations and referenced some more recent articles written on several subjects."

Something tapped on the window. Harry jumped. His eyes widened and he rushed to the ledge.

"Harry, you alright? You're breathing heavy?"

The boy gasped, taking several deep breaths. He opened the window.

"Yeah, everything's fine. My birthday presents arrived. That's all."

A parliament of owl swooped through frame, all landing on Hedwig's perch. The boy smiled.

"What'd you get?" Hermione asked.

He grabbed a package. "Well, let's see. I have one here from some girl name Hermione. She sounds pretty cute."

"Shut up."

"Anyway," he unwrapped the paper, "it's a broom cleaning kit." He held his wrist closer to his mouth. "Thanks, Mione."

"You're welcome. Now, go on. Tell me all about the others."

So Harry spent the next hour opening his presents and narrating the adventure to Hermione. He received a birthday cake and self-resizing outfits from Draco (and yes, they were in the best pureblood style he could find). Another owl brought a fourth year charms book, the note stating plainly that this had been his mother's book given to Professor Snape and not to ruin it or try any spells in it. A note inside the book apologized for "Uncle Sev's" terse comments and to enjoy the memento from Lily Potter.

Another package dropped onto his bed. Harry's brow furrowed as he read the card.

 _Harry,_

 _I think this may be useful in this year Defense Against the Dark Arts class. It may or may not be your textbook this year. *wink wink* I hope your birthday is better than any before and that this starts to make up for some missed years. Believe it or not I have eleven years' worth of stuffed animals and toys I had bought in hopes of being able to send them to you one day. Perhaps they can be used for a later generation. Happy Birthday Prongslet,_

 _Remus_

Harry opened the gift. It was a battered Defense Against the Dark Arts book. The boy smiled. Remus had officially been given the position. That was good. He lifted the cover, hoping it might belong to his mentor and friend.

Tears tracked down the boy's face. On almost every page were conversations between James Potter and his friends. Most of the transcripts were about a certain redhead who was 'very distracting today' and to 'pay attention, James, I'm trying to take notes'. Harry smiled. Only a few more days.


	27. Chapter 27

Sirius and the Leaky Cauldron

Harry plopped down on the sidewalk. It really wasn't fair. Aunt Marge gets to call his mom a dog, but when his magic gets out of control, he gets in trouble? It wasn't like she wasn't plumping herself up already. He was aiding her in her mission to be as round as possible. He snorted.

A rustling to his right caught his attention. Was there something in the trees? It didn't look like it. He turned back, but something he saw something on the edge of his vision. He did a double take. He couldn't believe his eyes! Was it really truly him?

"Padfoot?" Harry jumped up from his spot. The black, shaggy dog stopped in its retreat and turned around, its tongue lolling to one side. The boy ran over to his godfather and dropped down to his knees. "Padfoot! It's you!"

Padfoot kissed his godson's cheek. The boy laughed. "I missed you, buddy." The dog barked.

Harry surveyed the area. This wasn't the best place to have such an important conversation.

"Hey boy, wanna come with me to The Leaky Cauldron?" Padfoot barked and bounced his head "Well, come on then."

The boy furrowed his brow. The Leaky was far away, and it wouldn't be safe if he walked. He shrugged. _Well, if it's not broke, don't fix it!_ He held up his wand and the purple bus came roaring to a stop.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stanley Shunpike and will be your conductor this eve-" The man stopped and peered over at Harry holding a dog by the scruff of its neck. "Is that a dog?"

"Yes sir, this is my dog...Snuffles. He has to go to the vet in London." The boy chewed his lower lip. "Are dogs not allowed on the Knight Bus?"

"Nope, your dog's fine. The more the merrier, that's what I always say." Stanley took the sickles and the boy sat. "And you are?"

"Er...Neville Longbottom." Padfoot's eyes shot to the boy. "Sh, Snuffles, let me handle this."

"Where to?"

"The Leaky Cauldron."

"The Leaky Cauldron, Ern." Stan turned back to Harry. "This is our driver, Ernie Prang."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Prang."

"Ernie, please," the old wizard said, shifting into gear.

They drove off, twisting and turning (and in Harry's case, falling). As the boy righted himself for the third time, he glanced over at the copy of _The Daily Prophet_ sitting next to Stan. The conductor caught the poor boy's attention.

"That's Sirius Black, it is," the man said, his head motioning to the front page picture. Padfoot's head shot up. "Scary lookin' fing, inee? Killed firteen people in broad daylight, 'e did."

The dog growled.

"Snuffles." Harry warned. Padfoot whimpered and placed his head back on his paws.

"See? E'en yer dog knows Black ain't the type of guy you wanna be around." The conductor shook his head. "Man was a follower of You-Know-Who."

"Really?" Harry said, staring out the window. He didn't really care about these stupid rumors the paper was floating around. He knew the truth, and soon his godfather would know, too.

"Yep. He even…" The bus skidded to a stop, causing Stan to fly through the aisle and up to the front. "Welp, 'ere's yer stop, Nev. Keep in touch, ya hear?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Of course. Thanks Stan, Ernie."

The boy disembarked, his dog prancing behind him.

" _There_ you are, Harry."

The boy sighed, closing his eyes.

"Uhm, hello." Harry greeted, turning around slowly to face the minister. He glanced down at Padfoot. The dog growled

"And who might this be?" Fudge asked the teen as he knelt down to get a better look. Harry's heart raced. What could he say?

"This is my dog...Shadow." Padfoot barked and nipped as Fudge tried to pet him. "Shadow, be nice." Harry ordered, giving his godfather a quick pat on the hindquarters. He didn't know if the pat shut Sirius up or common sense did, but within seconds, the dog calmed.

Fudge showed Harry into the Leaky Cauldron, where they sat down.

"I'm Cornelius Fudge, Harry. I'm the Minister of Magic." The boy nodded. "You've had us all in a right flap…"

"I'm sorry, sir," Harry said, stopping the man's long-winded speech in its tracks. "I didn't mean to cause panic. Will Aunt Marge be alright?"

"She's fine, Harry. Already have Obliviators on the scene."

"And I'm not expelled?"

The Minister laughed. "For a little underage magic?"

The boy sighed. "Good."

"Now, you'll be staying here for the remainder of summer vacation. Room eleven's free. It'll be very comfortable. But Harry," said Fudge.

"Yes, sir?"

"I don't want you wandering off into Muggle London. Keep to Diagon Alley. Be back before night fall and check in daily with Tom here, alright?" The boy nodded. "Good. I'll be off. Have a good rest of your summer."

The Minister left and Tom showed Harry to his room. He gave the boy the key before heading out, sniffing at the sight of the mangy dog lumbering beside his newest occupant.

Harry surveyed Sirius, still in dog form.

"Okay, Sirius, you can come out now." The dog's eyes widened but he soon complied. Fairly shortly, the boy-who-lived had a room full of escaped felon on his hands. He held up his wrist-galleon, "Found Padfoot. Apparate to the Leaky Cauldron."

"Who the heck's Padfoot?"

The boy stifled a laugh at Draco's confusion. "Come to the Leaky and find out!"

Sirius sat down, head cocked to the side. How did Harry know who he was? Who was the boy talking to? What was going on?

As soon as his godson finished talking into his wrist, the boy ran over and latched onto his side.

"Sirius!"

The convict quirked a brow. "Uhm, hi?" A pop echoed outside the door. "Who's that?"

"Don't worry, we'll explain soon."

The door burst open.

"Sirius!" Hermione cried, running to give him a hug. The man, though confused, was never one to refuse a hug from a pretty girl, and graciously accepted it-though it was more than a little awkward as Harry had yet to let go.

Another pop sounded and Draco came walking in, staring dumbfoundedly at Hermione gushing over a ragged and tired-looking Sirius Black. The blond stopped and quickly shut the door before placing a silencing charm up. The last thing Harry Potter needed was to be found with a convicted mass murderer hidden in his room.

"What in the WORLD is going on?" Draco asked, once he was sure they were safe.

"I was just about to ask that same thing," Sirius agreed, staring wide eyed at the two currently attached to his side. Hermione's eyes popped and she blushed. She let go of the man, brushing invisible dirt off of her shirt and skirt, trying to make the awkward situation less awkward.

"I think we should tell him," Harry said, maneuvering his face so that he could still hug his godfather and speak clearly. Sirius quirked an eyebrow.

"What?" Hermione's jaw dropped. "Harry, no!"

Harry cuddled into his godfather's side. "He could prove useful, and I won't allow my godfather to spend the whole year starving off in a cave somewhere."

"But Harry, remember what," she looked over at Sirius and whispered, " _they_ said. We really can't risk telling him. Back me up, Draco." Draco shook his head resolutely. He wasn't about to get in-between Harry and his godfather. Hermione sighed. "FINE! Go tell the whole world, while you're at it," she grumbled. "See if I care." She walked over to a corner of the room, crossed her arms, and sat down.

Sirius jumped from his spot on the bed, his godson still clinging to his side. "WHAT is going ON here?"

"Sirius, you may want to sit down for this," Harry said.

"It'd be much easier to do without you hanging on my side like a little monkey."

"Harry James Potter, you let go of your godfather right this instant," Hermione said, glaring.

"No," Harry said, snuggling in closer to the man. "I lost him for how long? I won't ever let him out of my sight again."

"Alright Harry," Sirius said, sitting down and patting the boy on the back. "I'm not going anywhere." He smiled. "What is it you wanna tell me?"

"We're time travelers."

There was a moment of silence. And another. And another. Finally, Sirius stood up, forcing his godson away from his side and looking the boy straight in the eye.

"Harry, I think _you_ need to sit down." He gently pushed the boy onto the bed. "Now, I'm going to call some very nice people in green robes that are going to come and take you to a very nice place where I know you won't hurt yourself." The man walked toward the exit, moving to turn the knob.

"He's not crazy," Draco said, jumping up to block the door. His brow furrowed. "Well, he's not lying. I can't say he's not crazy…"

"Hey!" Harry crossed his arms, scowling. "I'm not crazy."

"Quirrellmort?" the blond asked, eyebrow quirked.

"Well, you can't say…"

"Basilisk?"

"That wasn't entirely…"

"We have a convicted mass murderer hiding in your room!"

"Fine, I'm nuts," Harry said. He rolled his eyes, "But can we please get on the same page here."

Hermione sighed. "We really are time travelers."

"Okay," Sirius started, nodding his head slowly. "Let's say you're time travelers…"

"We're time travelers."

"Okay, let's say you are," the man held up his hand. "Why would I believe you?"

"It would explain why I knew you were Padfoot," Harry said.

"But Moony could've told you that..."

"And why I'm not taking you straight to back to Azkaban."

"Well, if you ran into Pettigrew at some point…"

"And why I know Remus is a werewolf."

Sirius stopped. This kid seemed to know everything. Moony never would have told James's son the truth about his condition.

"There are a few people who know about that other than him…"

Harry huffed. He turned to Hermione. "A little help here?"

"Oh no," she shook her head, "if you want to break Time and Fate's rules, you'll have to figure out your own way to do it."

"Fine." He turned back to his godfather. "Do you really think the boy-who-lived, a muggleborn, and a death eater's son would all willingly meet with an escaped convict in Diagon Alley for no reason?"

The man shook his head, sparing a glance at the blond blocking the door.

"You're Lucius Malfoy's son, aren't you?"

"Well, I guess I am cursed with that moniker, aren't I?" Draco moaned. He held out his hand to the older man. "Draco Malfoy."

Sirius Black." The shook hands. "Nice to meet you, cousin."

"Don't remind me," Draco murmured as he resumed his post in front of the door.

The animagus sighed, rubbing his eyes. He and his friends had gotten into a lot of trouble in their time, but time travel? Really? And the first thing the kid did was pick him up off the street and drag him to the Leaky Cauldron?

"Why? Why contact me?" Sirius asked, leaning on a desk near the door.

"Because," Harry shrugged, "like I said, I don't want you starving in a cave somewhere. I know you're innocent. I know you didn't rat on my parents."

"No, the real rat is waiting for us back at the Burrow," Hermione said, giggling. The two boys moaned. "What?"

"Okay, okay," Sirius laughed, holding his hands up in surrender, "I believe you three." He walked over and hugged his godson once again. "So, what made you come back in time? It's illegal, you know."

Hermione snorted. "Are you really one to be lecturing us on following a penal code?"

The animagus shrugged. "Do as I say, not as I do."

"Great discipline tactic."

"Well, last time around," Harry started, shooting a glare at his friend. She rolled her eyes. "We inadvertently killed all of wizarding kind. Fate and Time decided to give us another go."

"You inadvertently killed all of wizarding kind?"

"Yeah," Draco said, nodding. He pounded his fists together and mimicked an explosion. "Boom."

"So, how do I aid you in saving it?" Sirius asked.

"Well, you don't. Not really." Harry laid his head on his godfather's shoulder. "I just want to spend more than five minutes with you before you die by Bellatrix's wand at the Department of Mysteries."

"What?" Sirius yelped, his eyes widening.

"Yeah, you see, last time around-for whatever reason-any time something bad happened, I was the one who had to go save everybody."

"It wasn't that you had to go," Hermione said, glaring. "You went and all the adults had to scramble after you picking up your messes."

"Except Dumbledore," Draco said, sitting down in a chair next to the door. "He was usually the one planning the bad things that were going on."

"Draco…"

"Just saying…"

"Anyway," Harry said, smirking at the two bickering like a married couple, "first year, Dumbledore brought the Philosopher's Stone to Hogwarts to keep it safe from Quirrell, who was acting as a host for Voldemort."

"Yeah, he drank unicorn blood." The ex-Slytherin scrunched his nose. "Disgusting."

"I saved it, but only after he figured out I already had the stone and he tried to kill me for it."

"Apparently, scarhead here can burn the dark lord right up."

Green eyes glared at his friend. "Only until fourth year."

"What happened fourth year?" Sirius asked, brow furrowing.

"It's a long story," Hermione said, rubbing her forehead. "Short version: Moody's not Moody, the age line isn't an age line, and the trophy's not just a trophy."

"Huh?"

"Do you wanna know what's going on now, or do you wanna hear about something that might change over the course of this next year?"

Sirius turned to his godson. "She's snippy."

"And this is her in a good mood," Draco muttered, his eyes fixed on counting the tiles in the ceiling.

"At the end of first year, I'd saved the stone from Voldie, but hadn't been able to save myself from his death eater buddies," Harry said, smiling at Draco. "Or their crazed house elves."

The blond rolled his eyes. "My house elf Dobby tried to save Harry from whatever my father had planned last year. This past time, I was able to help stop him; the previous time, I proved to be much less helpful."

"In the end, there used to be a basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, which could be accessed via a sink in the second floor girls' bathroom."

"The one with the snake sink?" Sirius asked, his brow creased.

"You know it?"

"Yeah," the animagus smiled, "I used to push ol' Snivellus in there all the time." He scowled. "Wasn't as much fun once I learned that the ghost in there tended to scare all the girls away...and liked company."

"Well," Harry said, ignoring the obvious peer abuse for the moment, "it's dead now. I killed it, along with his first horcrux."

"What's that?"

Hermione shook her head. "At this very moment, it's not the most important thing for you to know. We can get more into that later." She glanced over at Harry. "I think we've about caught him up to this point."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, that's about where we are now."

"Except for the part where you freed our house elf," Draco said, rubbing his neck. "I've been more or less hiding out at Uncle Sev's this summer. Father isn't happy."

"Basically," Hermione said, "we're trying to fix our past mistakes by being friends-how we were supposed to be last time."

"What can I do to help?" Sirius asked.

"Stay out of the way and go to Grimmauld Place?"

"Actually…" Harry said, his brows wiggling.

"No, Harry, no. Whatever you're thinking, no."

"No, wait a minute, Mione." Draco held up a hand. "Let him talk. It might actually be a decent plan."

"We could take him to Hogwarts with us." Green eyes sparkled. "He could go as Padfoot."

"I was wrong."

"What will happen when Remus sees him? He'll recognize the animagus in a moment," Hermione said.

Sirius's head perked up. "What's Moony doing at Hogwarts?"

"He's the newest DADA professor."

"Moony's teaching?"

"What if we dyed his hair blond?" Harry suggested, completely ignoring their conversation.

"Yeah," Sirius nodded, "that could work. Once, James jokingly died my hair neon pink as a prank. When I turned into Padfoot-to attack him, obviously-I was completely pink!"

Hermione sighed. "Fine, it looks like I am outvoted this time." She scowled, crossing her arms. "But, if we're taking you to Hogwarts, we need to set some boundaries."

"Okay, boundaries. I can try boundaries."

"First," she held up a finger, "you can't kill Peter Pettigrew."

Sirius muffled a groan. "Alright."

"Second," Draco said, holding up two fingers, "you can't prank my godfather."

"Who is your godfather?" The animagus furrowed his brow. "Why would I prank him?"

"Severus Snape."

"Snivelous? What's that slithering, sleazy, greasy, sna-" Sirius paused, three sets of eyes glaring at him. "What's he doing at Hogwarts?"

"First of all," Harry said, his eyes narrowing, "you will not use that name with him, Padfoot. He's the reason we got as far as we did in the war and he deserves our respect-no matter that we think of him personally."

"He's the potions professor at Hogwarts," Hermione explained. "Youngest Potions Master in centuries?"

Sirius sighed. "Fine, what's number three?"

"You can't tell Moony." Harry crossed his arms.

"What?" The Marauder jumped up, throwing his hands in the air. "I can't tell Moony?" All three time travelers shook their heads. "But I have to! I have to tell him I'm sorry. I should've never expected him to be the spy! How could we not have figured out that the _rat_ would _rat_ on us?"

"Sirius, we have to let things play out. They have to go as close to similar as possible; otherwise, Time'll get upset."

"Which is why we're bringing the escaped convict to Hogwarts with us." Hermione mumbled angrily.

Harry scowled at her. "Just because we have to allow the broad brushstrokes to remain the same, doesn't mean the details must."

They all stopped for a moment. Sirius looked at the three teens staring at him intently.

"Fine, I won't tell Moony." He agreed.

* _The Prisoner of Azkaban_ p. 33, 42-43, & 46-47


	28. Chapter 28

Hair Dye and Surprise

"Alright, now that we have that settled, what're we going to do next?" Harry asked.

Sirius shrugged. "Dye my hair?"

"Right. What color?" Draco asked.

"Seriously?" Hermione's eyes narrowed. "What color? What color do you think?"

"I don't know. He said he'd tried pink before…"

"Draconus…"

"What?"

Harry giggled, holding his stomach. "Muggle dogs don't normally come in neon colors."

The blond's brow furrowed. "What're neon colors?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm surrounded by idiots." She shook her head. "I'd say we go for blond. There are so few choices we have with a dog."

"I can go blond. It's better than gray." The animagus smirked, his eyes glittering. "There is one specific reason my Animagus form took to the coloring it did, though. We can't just use any old dye."

"Really?" she asked.

"Yeah. The Marauders and I tried it again later-you know, for scientific purposes-and it didn't dye correctly. The only reason we could think of was that it was _muggle_ hair dye the first time."

"You did?" Harry asked.

"Well, Moony did. He was telling us something about the transitive properties of magic and animagus transformations."

The trio nodded.

"Might we ask why you were dying your hair in the first place?" Draco asked, crossing his arms.

"Well," the animagus said with a shrug, "I had just been disowned from the family and I looked far too much like a Black for my taste. Decided it was time for a new look."

"And you went with dying your hair?"

Sirius nodded. "Tattoos and piercings did nothing to my actual appearance. wanted to go a little lighter-perhaps an amber or red cinnamon-but James switched the two boxes and I didn't notice until my hair was completely pink."

"Brilliant," Harry said, leaning against his godfather.

"Your father sure thought so." The man sighed. "Might as well get this show on the road!" He smirked and looked toward Hermione. "I would send Malfoy out to get the dye, but I bet he's less than useless in the muggle world. Would you mind getting some blond hair dye, miss?"

"Can do, Mister Black!" Hermione said, jumping from her chair. She rushed out of the room, her quest to find the nearest drugstore with hair dye beginning.

"Mr. Black, gosh no, that was my father." Sirius laughed, shaking his head. "The next time I hear someone refer to me like that, let it be at my funeral." Harry frowned. "Alright, our second order of business, what time is it?"

"About 4 o'clock in the morning, why?" Harry asked, checking his watch.

Draco's eyes widened.

"Merlin, I have to go! I didn't let Uncle Sev know I was leaving. He'll KILL me if I'm not there when he gets up." The blond spun in his spot. "I'll come back later, I promise. Bye." Draco rushed out the door and _Apparated_ away.

Sirius chuckled. "Uncle Sev?"

Harry rolled his eyes.

"First thing's first," Hermione said as she entered the room. "You need to clean yourself up."

"Yeah," Harry motioned behind him, "shower's in there and I can go buy you some clothes quickly."

"You need my Gringotts key," Sirius said as Hermione pushed him toward the bathroom.

Harry shook his head. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it."

"Prongslet…"

"You might want to shave and get a haircut," the boy continued, wrapping his cloak around him. "'Mione's great with scissors. She cut my hair all of seventh year."

"Also known as the camping trip from hell," Hermione said as her friend shut the door behind him. The animagus whined, desperately watching his godson walk out without him. "Now, get in there and stop looking like a vagabond."

Sirius showered and shaved, feeling more comfortable than he had in twelve years. He stared into the mirror. While his eyes were still sunken in and his skin still sagged from lack of proper food, he'd never looked better.

He smiled, opening the door. His eyes widened in horror when his beloved godson was not the person on the other side. Instead, Hermione Granger stood in the doorway, scissors in hand.

The man slammed the door on her.

"Sirius-"

"Go away," he said as Harry entered the bedroom.

The boy glanced at his friend, who shook her head in frustration.

"Sirius Black, come out here this instant," the girl said, stomping her foot.

"No."

"You look like a ragamuffin."

"I don't care," the animagus pouted. "I like my hair this long and you can't stop me." The door opened, revealing a steaming Hermione Granger with a wand in her hand. Sirius glared, crossing his arms. "I am 20 years older than you, young lady. I will not be treated like a child!"

"Then come over here and stop acting like a big baby!" With a flick of her wand, ropes flew around the man and tied his hands to his sides. He dropped, and Harry helped his friend get the overgrown child into a chair. The young girl immediately got to work.

"Alright," Sirius said after an hour, staring at himself in a handheld mirror. "It's not that bad. Thanks."

Hermione smirked. The man's hair was still long-reaching just below his shoulders-and face was clean.

Harry walked over to the bed and picked up a fresh pair of robes for Sirius to put on. They were plain black, but resizable so they fit Sirius perfectly.

"I also should go to Gringotts at some point today for money, so we can get you a new wardrobe, Harry," Sirius said, glancing down at the robes in his hand. "Now that I'm head of the Black family, I have access the Black family vault."

Harry smiled. "That's really not necessary, Padfoot."

"Nah, listen, we can get whatever you want. There's no need for you to wear those oversized clothes of yours anymore."

The boy blushed. "I can buy my own clothes, Padfoot."

"Then, why haven't you?"

Hermione dried Sirius' hair with a spell and sat him down to have his hair colored.

"I'm hungry," Harry stated, averting his eyes from the distressed animagus. "Should I get us three some food? I know you must be starved, Padfoot."

"Yes, I am," the man said, grimacing as the dye burned his scalp. "Beyond starved, in fact. It's not like you get three square meals a day in Azkaban. However, I'm far too undernourished. I'm not even sure my stomach can handle food."

"I guess you're right."

"Remus should know how to take care of a starved animal," Hermione said, her eyes focused on her task at hand

Harry nodded. "Good idea. I'll get 'Mione and me food, then I'll fire call Remus. I can ask him about nutritional needs of undernourished animals, and make sure he doesn't have a heart attack when he finds out I'm here and not at the Dursleys."

Sirius perked up.

"You're going to get Moony?" He leaned forward but Hermione pulled him back by his hair.

"Yes. They have this weird relationship where Remus acts like his overbearing mother. Now, sit back."

Sirius snickered, though his brow creased.

"That doesn't make sense." He shook his head. "Remus isn't necessarily the nurturing type. He never even held Harry, just kind of stayed out of everyone else's way so he wouldn't be asked."

"Well, a lot has changed over time. It's not as if you've been in touch with him for the past twelve years."

The man grimaced. "Yeah, I suppose not."

Harry ran downstairs, readying himself to grab some floo powder from the fireplace. A commotion pulled him from his mission.

Remus burst through the Leaky Cauldron entrance. The man's face was red and his nostrils flared. He trembled in his spot.

At least the boy didn't have to use the floo.

"Harry James Potter," the man started, placing his hands on his hips "What in the world are you doing here? You're supposed to be at the Dursleys. It's not safe for you to be out of that house, young man." Remus pulled Harry into a breathtaking hug.

"Remus," the boy gasped, "I'm fine. I had to leave."

The wolf held the boy at arm's length. "What happened? Did they hurt you?"

Harry shook his head. "I accidently blew up my aunt. I thought I was a criminal until I got here and the minister cleared things up."

Remus let Harry go, his eyes examining the boy for any visible cuts, scrapes, or bruises. Satisfied that there were none, he pulled Harry into another hug.

"I know, Prongslet. I just got scared when I saw the paper this morning. Do you want something to eat?"

"Yeah, it is what I came down here for," Harry said, snickering as Remus ordered them food.

"So," the lycanthrope said as their food appeared, "Harry, need I remind you of the dangers of going out onto the streets unsupervised?"

The boy sighed. "No Remus, you don't…"

"Because it's not just the normal things you have to watch out for…"

"Yes, Moony."

"I mean, usually there's stranger danger, and you never know when you might get hurt and find yourself alone…."

"I understand."

"But, being the boy-who-lived, you have even more threats than the average child."

Harry nodded. "I understand, Moony. I should've told you where I was the minute things went south."

"You're extremely lucky the Minister thought to check the Leaky."

"Of course."

The man shook his head. "I can only imagine what would have happened if Siri…" His mouth snapped shut and he averted his eyes.

Silence reigned for several minutes while the two ate. Harry shook his head. His mentor had almost mentioned Sirius Black, but stopped. Why? Did he think keeping the boy ignorant would save him from the "lunatic"? Nevermind the fact that the man clearly saw Black as a danger, yet failed to mention that the man currently could be hiding in dog form...

Green eyes widened."Remus-I almost forgot to ask-what would you feed an extremely malnourished dog?"

The wolf's eyes widened and brow raised at the randomness of the question.

"That depends, how big and old is the dog, and why are you asking?"

Harry cocked his head. Well, the animagus was about the size of a golden retriever, but how the heck was he supposed to know how old the mutt was? And what could he tell the lycanthrope without bringing about too much suspicion _?_

"Well…" the boy started, tapping his chin. A commotion across the room stayed any further response.

A bleach blond dog with brown eyes rushed over to Harry, followed by a flustered Hermione. The boy-arms full of Padfoot-furrowed his brow at his friend.

She crossed her arms. "Shadow!"

Remus's eyes widened in surprise as the yellow dog jumped into his lap.

"Hello, Hermione. What are you doing here?" His brow creased. "Shadow?"

"We are still working on the name," Harry muttered, glaring at the cowing dog.

"Hello, Mister Lupin, I… uh…. What do you mean what am I doing here?" She placed her hand on her hips. "Surely it's not that odd that you found me with Harry. We are best friends, after all."

"Yes, but Cornelius only found it pertinent to inform us of Harry's whereabouts this morning. How did you know he was here?"

Hermione's eyes widened and she snuck a peek at Harry. He pointed to his wrist.

"Well, you remember those communicators we made at Christmas…"

Remus quirked a brow at the two. "He called you and didn't think to inform an adult where he was?"

"Well," Harry said, scowling, "I thought everyone already knew. Fudge is an adult, isn't he?"

"Touche," the man said, smiling. He glanced back at Hermione. "But that still doesn't explain what you're doing here."

"My parents and I are staying over so that we could get my school things today. I saw Harry when he got here with this dog here and I've been helping him with…" Hermione looked over at Harry for help.

"Feeding him," the boy said, nodding. "We fed him some ham last night, but he threw it up and we think it's because he's too starved. I found him down the road when I was running away last night and I decided to keep him. "

"Well I can help with that," Remus said, smiling. He pet the dog's head, "He needs to start with some lighter food, perhaps soup or broth. I can talk with Tom to arrange something." The man furrowed his brow. "As for you keeping him, have you thought about what Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall are going to say?"

"Um…" the boy tapped his chin. Actually, no he hadn't thought about what his professors would say. And it's not like dogs were on the approved animal list. He jutted his chin out. "I'm Harry Potter. I've defeated Voldemort three times and I'm barely thirteen. I think that gives me some leverage."

Padfoot licked Remus on the face and he laughed.

The boy motioned over to Hermione, glad Padfoot was distracting Remus. "Why does he have brown eyes?"

"I thought he'd be too recognizable with silver eyes," the girl said, whispering back. "You know, due to the fact dogs tend to not have them."

The door to the Leaky Cauldron flew open, and a flushed Draco walked in. Behind him was Professor Severus Snape, his customary glare in place.

"I do not care, Draco, if you think thirteen is old enough to go to Diagon Alley by yourself. I say otherwise, and I am your guardian until you are of age."

"I am of age," Draco whispered exasperatedly, crossing his arms. He turned, preparing to mouth off to the man, but was stopped by Padfoot's menacing growl.

Harry kicked the mutt in the side. He had to think quick; Professor Snape would dig deeper than Remus if he called the dog Shadow. He might deduce that the dog had once been black, and that would lead to all kinds of questions he didn't want to answer right now. He looked frantically and caught eyes with Draco.

"Dragon!" He snapped, startling both blonds.

"Yes?" Draco replied, brow furrowed. What did he do now?

"Not you." Harry hissed. He pointed to the dog. "This Dragon."

"Since when is his name Dragon?" Great, this would be all kinds of confusing.

"Since when do you know what the dog's name is?" Harry whispered harshly. "I just got him last night."

"We've been trying out different names," Hermione said quickly. "We don't know what he originally was called, and you know the saying, 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks'. He wouldn't answer to anything we called him before. He seems to respond well to that one, though." She turned to Sirius. "I bequeath to you the name, Dragon."

"Now, Dragon, we don't growl at Professor Snape. He is our…" green eyes narrowed in thought, "professor."

"Mr. Potter," Professor Snape crossed his arms, "what are you doing with a dog?"

"Really?" Hermione asked, brow furrowed. "He's miles away from home in the middle of the summer, and your first question is 'where'd the dog come from'?"

"Fine, Why did you run away from Surrey? Is there something you wished to talk about?"

Remus stood up. "There shouldn't have been."

Professor Snape rolled his eyes. "And how would you know, Lupin?"

"I threatened the Dursleys when I brought Harry home for the summer."

"You? Threatened? Hardly."

"No, really," Harry said, smiling. "They were magicked to chairs and everything."

"You insolent fool," Professor Snape said, his eyes sparking. "Did you really think that would help?" He rubbed his eyes. "If _anything_ , it would make them madder."

Remus's eyes widened.

While the two Hogwarts professors argued over the proper way to handle errant muggles, Severys the Snake decided to peek out of Draco's sleeve. Seeing that there were several fat, juicy mice near the bar, he slithered down. Dragon, who had become utterly bored with the conversation, saw the snake out of the corner of his eye.

He barked. He'd never liked snakes; they were everything that was wrong with the Black family. He pounced onto Draco and started biting at his sleeve.

"No! Bad Dragon! What do you think you're doing?" Draco squealed, his butt contacting the floor.

"Dragon! No!" Harry grabbed at the dog's scruff. Hermione stood between Sirius and Draco. Remus and Professor Snape helped the blond up and checked him over for scrapes and bruises. Thankfully, Severys was fine. "Bad Dragon. That is Draco's pet. We don't attack other helpless animals, not even snakes." Green eyes scanned the small group, locking with the potion master's. "Any type of snake."

Dragon whined but relented.

Professor Snape's eyes narrowed. "Are we sure that dog is safe?"

Harry sighed and nodded.

"Yes, Professor Snape. He just needs to learn who is good and who is bad. He is just confused right now, but we'll set him straight. I promise."


	29. Chapter 29

Dementors

"So, I blew up Aunt Marge," Harry said, petting Crookshanks, who had wandered over to his lap. He was currently sitting next to Hermione on the Hogwarts Express, giving Dragon a quick rundown of third year.

"I ran into you," the boy continued, "though I thought you were just a scary, dark figure. You don't make very good first impressions, do you?"

"Must run in the family," Draco said, staring into the dog's brown eyes. Dragon barked. Harry laughed and nodded.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Sh!" She glanced over at Remus. The man was leaning against the window, snoring. "We can't wake up Professor Lupin."

"You seriously believe we _can_ wake him up? He's out cold."

"Still…"

"Anyway," Harry said, ignoring the bickering couple, "I accidently hailed the Knight Bus…"

"Wait," Draco held up his hand, "how do you _accidently_ hail the Knight Bus?"

Harry shrugged.

"I have no idea. I am about as muggle as they come when it concerns knowledge of magic. Someone had the great idea to take me out of my home, plop me into the magical world, and expect me to figure it out." He rubbed his eyes. "I find that most of the time when I do the right thing, it is totally by accident."

"How in the world is hailing the Knight Bus ever the right thing?" Draco muttered, scowling.

"It's better than being attacked by a mass murderer." Sirius whined, causing Remus to stir. Everyone froze, waiting until the man settled back down before continuing. "Sorry, Dragon, but that was everyone's thought process back then, even mine."

"But that is all beside the point." Hermione pulled Crookshanks back onto her lap. "The Weasleys and I came back from our holidays and went to Diagon Alley to get our things. We stayed the night at the Leaky Cauldron, and that was when the Weasleys told Harry about you."

"How did the Weasleys get enough money to go on holiday, you ask?" Green eyes sparkled. "They won a lottery at Mr. Weasley's job."

Draco straightened. "Ooh, Ooh. May I insult him again? May I? May I? May I?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry smirked.

"Sure, Ferret, whatever floats your boat." Dragon cocked his head. "Oh, you wanna know why I call him Ferret? Well, a fake Mad-Eye Moody turned him into a ferret for a short period of time. But that's a tale for another time." Harry turned to his friend. "You know, you made quite a cute ferret, Draco."

"I didn't know I was your type, Scarhead," the blond said, winking.

Harry smirked.

"Well, actually, I didn't mention that the first time around. Hermione…"

The girl in question slapped a hand over the mouth of the boy-who-lived.

"What Harry was trying to say, is that you know he has his eye on another blonde. This one is female and in Ravenclaw."

Dragon perked his head, and Harry blushed. He opened his mouth to complain but stopped, tilting his head.

"We should go find Luna. We haven't seen her since the train ride home." The boy pouted. "She didn't come when I called on the communicators."

Hermione sighed. "What a relief! She could've found out…" The girl's eyes narrowed. "Harry, did you want to tell her about the whole time travel thing?"

The boy averted his eyes. "Maybe."

The carriage door slid open. "Hello all!"

The trio jumped, swiveling to find Luna standing in the doorway, smiling. They peeked at each other through the corner of their eyes. How had the young girl known they were talking about her? Had she placed an alarm on her name like Voldemort?

"I trust you all had a safe holiday and the wrackspurts didn't ruin it," the blonde said, flopping down next to Draco. She placed her glasses on her nose, looking over at Remus. "Oh no," she gasped. "He's tormented by them."

Hermione scrunched her nose, staring at their professor. "Really?"

"Who is he?" Luna asked, pointing to Sirius.

"Oh, this is Dragon," Harry said, petting his head. "He's my dog. I got him this year over holiday." He pointed to the girl. "Dragon, this is Luna, our friend. She's someone we don't attack."

Luna smiled. She opened her father's magazine and turned it upside down to read.

"Anyway," Hermione said, lowering her voice, "Mr. Weasley warned Harry that there was a mass murderer after him who'd betrayed his parents. Harry went to Hogwarts, and everyone treated him like he was fragile. They wouldn't allow him to go to Hogsmeade. They didn't allow him outside alone. He felt strangled."

Harry scowled. "I can speak for myself, you know." He crossed his arms. "I ended up sneaking off anyway. I used Dad's invisibility cloak to escape to Hogsmeade."

"So that's who threw mud at me," Draco said, glaring.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes, but admit it. You deserved it."

The blond huffed. "But…well…yeah." He sighed. "But that was still a new robe."

"I'm sorry, Princess Malfoy." The boy-who-lived laughed as he dodged the blond's slap. "The twins gave me the Marauder's Map and taught me how to use it…"

Sirius popped into his human form, eyes wide.

"What? Who are these twins? How did they find it? Did they use it right? Did they use it well?"

The trio gaped.

"Padfoot," Harry hissed, his voice squeaking with awkward hormonal voice changes. He snuck a peek at Luna.

The young Ravenclaw looked up, shrugged, and went back to her magazine. Hermione's jaw dropped, and her brows knit together. How could anyone not react to finding an escaped convict in their carriage? Had she briefly gone blind?

The young Gryffindor girl motioned to Sirius, and the man quickly transformed back into his animagus form. They waited a minute, preparing for the moment of dawning recognition, but the young blonde never freaked out.

"Luna, what did you see when you looked up?" Hermione asked finally, her brow creased.

"Sirius Black with blond hair seemingly excited over some map," she said, not looking up from her magazine. All three gaped. She finally tore her attention away from the paper. "What? I'm loony, not stupid. You guys talk about a previous timeline every time I see you. I can put two and two together." She shrugged. "If it helps, I won't tell anyone you're time travelers, or that you're harboring a supposed fugitive. I figure if all that was said was true about him, Harry would be dead by now."

"Hi, I'm Sirius Black. Are you the cute, blonde Ravenclaw I've heard all about?" the animagus asked, once again in human form.

Harry turned bright red. Luna giggled.

"Yes, I suppose I am." She held out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Black."

The man smiled. "And you as well."

"I hope you enjoy your stay in Gryffindor tower."

Remus stirred again, and everyone froze.

"Ugh," Draco said quietly, hugging his arms. "Did anyone reserve a spot in the icebox?" He puffed, a small stream of breath visibly spewing from his mouth.

Green eyes widened.

"No," Harry said, trembling. The windows began to freeze, and Sirius popped back into a dog.

Hermione pulled out her wand. "Expecto Patro…"

"Are you insane?" Draco hissed, grabbing her wand. The girl scowled. "Most adult wizards can't do that spell. How are you going to explain a third year muggleborn's ability to cast a corporeal patronus?"

Harry's head snapped to the side. "Not my Harry…" someone was screaming. His eyes locked onto a black robe, and his trembling increased.

"Harry!"

The boy opened his eyes. When had he shut them? He grabbed his head, his temples throbbing. His eyes blinked, and his mentor came into view.

"Oh, Harry," the man said, grabbing the boy up into a hug. "Are you okay? I've never seen someone react so poorly to them." He pulled the boy to arm's length, checking all over for signs of harm.

"Well, sir," Luna said, smiling sadly, "he has been through a lot. He has almost as many wrackspurts following him as you do."

Harry smiled. He sat up slowly, using Dragon as a support. The dog panted, eagerly licking his hands and neck. The boy glared teasingly at his three friends, who couldn't help but laugh at the marauders.

Remus sighed. "Are you alright?" The boy nodded. "The dementors came before I could stop them. I need to tell Dumbledore to keep them away from you. Imagine if you'd been on your broom when this happened."

"I know, Remus."

The man pulled out some chocolate, handing it to Harry. Dragon tried to snatch it, but Remus stopped him, batting him on the nose. "No, chocolate isn't good for dogs."

Sirius whined and cowed, but accepted his fate.

The DADA professor stood. "Well, Harry, we're almost to Hogsmeade. Go get your robes on and then come with me." The man gathered his things. "I want you to get a basic health exam once we get to Hogwarts."

"What?" Harry asked, grimacing. "Why?"

"Most people do not faint when they come in contact with a dementor." The man shook his head. "I want to ensure this has nothing to do with the neglect you receive at home."

The boy crossed his arms. "No. I don't need an exam."

"Harry…"

"Seriously, Moony, I'm fine."

"This isn't a request."

The boy shook his head. "You won't get me to go willingly."

"Fine," the man sighed. "I was hoping to do this the easy way." He flicked his wand and ropes flew around Harry, encompassing the boy. "Levicorpus."

Remus took the bound boy and floated him up to the castle, much to the boy's distress.

"To be fair," Hermione said, turning to Draco as they walked behind the wolf and his charge, "Professor Lupin did give him the choice to go willingly."

Draco snickered. They paused in the atrium, watching the three make their way to the hospital wing.

McGonagall walked up and stood next to them. She stared at the mutt prancing happily next to Harry and Remus and scowled.

"Who is that?" she asked with disdain. "And why is Professor Lupin levitating Mr. Potter down the hall?"

"Harry refused to go to the hospital wing. Momma Bear took matters into his own hands." Draco smirked. "And that's Dragon, Harry's dog."

Her scowl deepened. "And we allow dogs now at Hogwarts?"

"You allow Lupin," Draco muttered under his breath.

Professor McGonagall's eyes widened and she quickly shook her head. She'd come over here for a reason.

"Miss Granger, will you come with me, please?"

Hermione stared at her Head of House. "Of course, Professor."

The two walked toward Professor McGonagall's office.

Draco quirked a brow. "I can only imagine what that is about."

He shrugged and walked away. It wasn't his concern. Right now, his stomach told him it was dinner time. He'd force his friends to give him the details later.


	30. Chapter 30

Messing with Professors

Looking back, Harry might've made a mistake in allowing a Marauder back into his old hunting grounds. Although he kept his promise not to prank Professor Snape, they probably should've secured a promise that he would not make trouble for any other professors, staff, or students.

First, there was the attempt at an innocent game of "tag" between Dragon and Professor McGonagall. To his credit, she may have been a bit more receptive if she hadn't been in her animagus form at the time, and he hadn't growled at her to start the game. He learned his lesson when he tried the same thing on Mrs. Norris and ended up coming back covered in scratches. How was he supposed to know Filch's cat fought dirty?

McGonagall soon called a meeting with Remus and Severus. She turned to the werewolf first.

"Mr. Lupin, is there anything you would like to say?"

"Yes," Remus said, nodding. He pointed to Severus. "Why's he here?"

"I'm here," Severus said, growling, "because one of your precious Gryffindors pranked my whole house."

The werewolf's eyes widened. "I'm becoming Head of House for Gryffindor?"

"Are you volunteering?" Minerva asked, a brow quirked. "Because I would gladly hand it over." She shook her head. "Those twins cause a lot of paperwork."

"Are you insane?" Severus asked, glaring. "You can't have a werewolf in charge of children!"

"You're just upset about the last DADA lesson…"

"I was dressed in drag."

"Technically," the wolf smirked, "the boggart that transformed into you was dressed in drag."

"About that," Minerva frowned, "how did you convince Albus to let you teach about boggarts in third year?" She shook her head. "That's strictly fifth year or above."

"I imagine the conversation went something like this." Severus sat up straight and crossed his legs. "Welcome Remus, want a sherbert lemon? No? What would you like? Teach boggarts? Cause mass hysteria during a nationwide manhunt? Why, of course. Just pensieve the memory and share it. I do love watching panicked thirteen year-olds running around abandoned classrooms."

"Actually," Remus said, scowling, "you're not that far off."

"Beside the point," Minerva said, sighing. She glanced at Remus. "You're only here because your experience lends itself well to the conversation we're about to have…"

The door opened and two redheads waltzed in.

"Tally ho, good gents," Fred said, eyes twinkling.

"And lady." George turned to his brother. "No need to offend our Head of House." Each dropped into a chair, both facing the three professor. "You asked to see us?"

Professor McGonagall sighed. "Yes. We needed to speak to you concerning some odd events which occurred the last week."

"To what do you refer, kind lady?" Fred asked. His twin elbowed him in the gut. "Fine. What are you blaming us for this week?"

"And before you ask, whatever it is, we didn't do it," George said, crossing his arms.

"Oh," Professor Snape's brow furrowed. "So, you didn't charm the Slytherin common room portrait to give out Gryffindor hair jobs?"

"No, and we weren't behind the hair-changing potion two years ago either." The three professors glared. "Just saying."

"Though, it would've been grand."

"The Hufflepuffs were so impressed with the stunt-and loved Zabini's new 'do so much-they gave Draco and Harry Hufflepuff entrance privileges for a month."

"Apparently, the 'Puffs enjoyed seeing the snakes with gold hair."

"Not why we're here," Professor Lupin said, raising his hand. The other two teachers looked to him. He shook his head. "They're telling the truth about the Slytherin prank."

"There's more?" George asked, mouth dropping.

"Oh, yes," Professor McGonagall pulled out several parchments, her tiny print filling multiple pages. "Let's see, worst offenders….Ah, how about the black, stuffed dog charmed to follow Mr. Filch around the school?"

"Not us."

"Though," Fred smiled, "we were the ones who got it to bark."

"For whatever reason, Harry, Draco, and 'Mione can see the dog. They pointed in the general direction."

"We just aimed."

"So were you the ones then responsible for the canary that followed Binns and tweeted every time he opened his mouth?" Professor Snape asked. Professor Lupin snorted.

"Not us again, sadly," George said, shaking his head.

"It's a good idea, though. Whoever came up with that one was a genius," Fred said in agreement.

"Too bad it wore off."

"And the cans of cat food scattered in my office?" Professor McGonagall crossed her arms.

"Well, if you don't need them, I know 'Mione's appreciative of any food for her cat, Crookshanks."

George nodded. "Yeah, the moment that cat finishes a can, Ron starts screaming at her that her cat's going to eat his rat if she starves him."

"Speaking of your brother, there was the case of the donkey ears and braying…."

"Look…" George said, holding up a hand, staying further comment.

"We truthfully tell you that we wished we had thought of these pranks…" Fred said.

"The person who came up with them is a genius…"

"Or a group of masterminds." Fred turned to his brother. "We can't rule out that this is a group affair."

George shrugged. "Either way, it wasn't us."

They both got up to leave, the professors so shocked they didn't even register the lack of a dismissal. Before the door closed, George turned back.

"Though we are honored to be considered in your quest to find the prankster." They both bowed and the door closed.

Harry had more than an inkling of who was doing most of the pranking. After all, Dragon had a whole eight hours a day that he was unsupervised.

"Now Dragon," the boy said on his way down to Care of Magical Creatures, "you need to knock it off. People'll get suspicious."

"Right," Draco said, rolling his eyes. He pet Severys, who was currently wrapped around his wrist like a bracelet. "Because everyone will suspect the DOG of charming Hufflepuff robes to sing 'The Song that Never Ends'."

"Ugh," Hermione rubbed her forehead. "That song was stuck in my head for days after that."

They stopped in front of Hagrid, who stood waiting patiently for all to arrive.

"Hiya, Harry," Ginny called, waving and walking toward them.

"Ginny?" Hermione scowled. "What are you doing here?"

"Just came out of Herbology." She smiled, eyes twinkling. "I wanted to say hi to Harry."

"Yeah, well, you said hi." Draco crossed his arms. "Now you can get on with your day."

"What are you? The boy-who-lived's bodyguard?"

"Ginny," Harry said, rubbing his eyes. "Look. Class is about to start. How about we talk some other time?"

She smiled. "Okay." She flounced off, skipping down the lane to Hogwarts.

"You know you just promised to talk to her again, right?" his blond friend asked, a brow quirked.

"C'mon, now, get a move on!" Hagrid called out, effectively cutting off Harry's response. "Got a real treat for yeh today!"

"Not a hippogriff. Not a hippogriff," Draco prayed, his hands locked together.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Don't be a baby." He pulled his friend along. "Come on! He said he's got a great lesson."

The blond groaned.

"Everyone gather round the fence here! That's it-make sure yeh can see-now, firs' thing you'll wanna do is open yer books…"

"How?" Zabini called out, crossing his arms.

Draco sighed. "You stroke the spine." The Slytherin glared. "Or didn't you read the instructions?"

"What instructions?"

Hagrid shrugged. "Guess I shoulda thought of some me'self. Though, I thought it was pretty obvious…"

"Of course," Finnegan sneered. "What fools are we! We had to _stroke_ the book. Because that's the first thing that comes to mind when a twenty-pound tome with fangs comes at you…"

"Shut up, Finnegan," Hermione said, putting her hands on her hips. "Harry, Draco, and I all figured it out over the summer. Just because some people have to have step-by-step directions for how to _read_ doesn't mean it's the teacher's fault."

"Now, now," Hagrid moved in-between the two. "No harm done. I don't wanna waste the lesson on yeh two arguing." Hermione stuck out her tongue. The giant turned, not having seen the action. "Hippogriffs! Beau'iful, aren' they?"

"Menacing is more like it," Draco whispered to his friend.

"Mr. Malfoy, would you like to come closer?"

"What?" the blond's brow furrowed. "When did I say that? I think I said the opposite of that!"

"Now, don't worry," the giant waddled over and grabbed the boy's arm. "Walk up slowly, bow, and wait."

"For what? It to scratch me to bits?"

"Jus' do it."

Draco did as he was told and stood awaiting the verdict.

"Ah, see! He likes you." The giant smiled. "Wanna take him for a ride?"

"Wait, what?"

Hagrid grabbed the blond and threw him on Buckbeak's back. The griff took off, and before he knew it, the ex-Slytherin was flying through the trees.

"This is awesome!" he called out, watching the ground grow smaller and smaller.

FPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFP

"He can only blame himself, really," Hermione said as they walked down the corridor an hour later.

Draco's brow furrowed. "Why was _this_ a fixed point? Why did _this_ have to happen?"

"Buckbeak has to die?" Harry turned to Hermione. "I bet that was one of the things we shouldn't have changed last time."

The girl shrugged. "I don't think he has to die."

"Hermione, we already have to go through the Shrieking Shack a third time. Do you really want to do it over a fourth?" Harry asked her. "Because that's what's going to have to happen if you wanna save the overgrown bird-lion."

Hermione sighed and shook her head. Behind them, a redhead scowled. Instead of following the crew, she turned. Eyes narrowing. A third time? A fourth? What in the world were they talking about?

Sirius jumped up on the bed and put his nose between his paws. His godson said no more pranks. It wasn't fair. There were just too many good escapades the Marauders planned but never executed. Hogwarts deserved to see them performed. His head jerked up. Maybe he'd just have to choose a more appreciative target.

Remus had heard about the pranks randomly occurring throughout the school. To be honest, it was nostalgic. Golden-haired Slytherins and cat food filled classrooms had all been suggestions in their monthly Marauder meetings. They'd never pulled any of them off, however. And all those great ideas died or were currently locked up.

Yet, on the day after the first full moon, he found a cup of hot tea placed on his bedside table. Momentarily, he thought it might've been Albus or even Minerva who had taken pity on him. But it was just to his liking.

Remus was very particular in the way his tea was made. Few tried, and when they did, more often than not he politely declined. The only people in the world who knew the right way were the Marauders. But half of them were dead and one was on the run. Sirius couldn't get on the grounds, could he?

Then, the pranks began. They started harmlessly enough. The next day, Remus walked into his first class-third year Slytherins and Gryffindors-to find his old stuffed animal.

"Wha-Reginald?" The professor picked up the bunny. "What...what are you doing here?"

Harry's hand popped into the air. "Who's Reginald?"

"My old stuffed bunny." The man held it up delicately. "I used to keep it with me every night during the full...when I was sick. He has a little tear in the ribbon where my paw...I mean, my cat's paw got stuck one night." Remus looked over at Harry. "I gave it to you after you were born. They couldn't find it after the attack…"

"You named your stuffed rabbit Reginald?" Hermione asked, brow furrowed.

"Who put this here?"

Dragon barked. The whole class giggled.

"Of course, Dragon," the man said, rolling his eyes playfully. He slapped his head. "How did I not expect my student's dog?"

The next day, Remus found himself being followed. No, not by a person like Snape or even Albus Dumbledore. No, Remus was being followed by a floating, stuffed, black dog. Hadn't Filch said something about a dog? And only he could see it, right?

"Severus?" The werewolf turned to the man at dinner. "Do you see the floating dog over there?"

The potions professor quirked a brow. "Lupin, I know being a professor is a lot of pressure that first year. Many crack, but never within the first couple weeks."

Remus scowled. "I'm not crazy. There's a small, black dog following me around."

"Then I suggest you go to Madame Pomphrey. Maybe she has a potion to help with delusions."

Now, Remus wasn't one to get overly worried. He tried his best to stay calm and let things handle themselves. However, he knew that something was really amiss when he found all of the classroom furniture stuffed into his office one morning. He nearly fainted. This was the last prank the Marauders had ever pulled on Professor McGonagall.

Sirius must be on the campus grounds. Without a doubt. With his suspicions firm in his mind, Remus went to the one person he knew would do something about this.

"Yes, Lupin?" Professor Snape drawled as he opened the door.

"First of all, I want to apologize. I understand. I just…I understand." He walked past the potions professor and took a seat in a chair.

"Come in, Lupin. Have a spot of tea. Of course, you are welcome here. Yes, please sit down. I so do love your company." Professor Snape said, crossing his arms.

Remus sighed. "Severus, this is important. I think Black is on school grounds."

Severus rolled his eyes.

"Lupin," he huffed, "I am not usually the comforting type. Yet, as you seem so sure that _something_ is amiss here, I will tell you this once. Black could not get onto school grounds without getting caught. The headmaster would surely know the minute anyone untoward were to walk over the barriers of the school."

"That's just it. Nothing nefarious is going on." The DADA professor rubbed his eyes. "The pranks-all of them-that have occurred since the start of school were ones that the Marauders had planned, but never accomplished. The cat food in Professor McGonagall's office, the canary following Binns, and even the Slytherin hair dye incident."

"You see those things as connected because you want to see them." Severus ran his fingers through his hair. When had he become a bloody psychologist?

"But there are pranks happening to me. My old stuffed bunny Reginald showed up in my classroom…"

Professor Snape held up his hand. "Stuffed bunny? Reginald?"

"I was five. Tell me, what were your stuffed animals' names at that age?"

"Not Reginald." Severus waved. "Beside the point, continue."

"Then, there was a _black_ dog following me for a day."

"And that is connected to Black how?" Severus asked. He needed to get the werewolf out of his office to get some work done.

"Sirius…the constellation? And Black, his name. A black dog. He was very sentimental that way."

"Anything else?"

"Do you remember the senior prank on McGonagall?" Remus asked, shifting in his seat.

"Which one? I recall seven that year."

"Where the classroom furniture all showed up in her office." Severus nodded. "Well, now I can't move an inch in my own."

Severus shrugged. "I'm sure this is nothing more than a prank happy first year."

"A first year? You think a first year did _this_?" Remus glared. "Who could have known about that rabbit? How could a first year conjure a _black dog_?"

"Gifted student."

"Have you seen any so far?"

"I work in potions, Lupin, not silly wand waving. If you find yourself poisoned, come to me and I will look into the matter seriously. Otherwise, GET OUT!" Severus stood, pointing at the door.

Remus bowed his head sheepishly and walked toward the door.

"Harry could be in danger."

Severus slammed the door in his face. He held his head in his hands. How could he handle these two Gryffindors this coming year?


	31. Chapter 31

The Fat Lady

The weeks leading up to Halloween flew by. Before Harry knew it, it was the day before the first Hogsmeade trip. However, there was still the matter of his permission slip. Of course, there was no way the Dursleys would sign it-even if he could get it to them-but surely there was another way.

The boy marched down to Dumbledore's office and banged on the door. It swung open revealing the headmaster sitting at his desk, staring out the window. He was petting his beard.

"Professor Dumbledore?"

"Yes?" the man said, his eyes fixed on some random point outside.

Harry took a deep breath. "I wanted to talk to you about my Hogsmeade permission slip."

"Ah, yes. Have you gotten it turned in?"

"No," the boy said, shaking his head. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. The Dursleys never signed it."

"Yes, well, you'll have plenty of fun here, I'm sure."

"But couldn't Remus sign it for me?" Harry asked, sitting down.

"Mr. Potter, Remus is not your guardian. He has no legal right to sign anything for you."

"But the Dursleys do?"

"Exactly."

"The people who beat me?" the boy said, crossing his arms. "The jerks who locked me in a cupboard? The ones who told me I wasn't worth the time and effort to feed, clothe, or give a well-rounded education?"

"The same."

"The people who-if they had it there way-would take me out of Hogwarts and place me in an asylum for criminal boys?"

"Yes."

Harry's brow creased. "Why?"

"Mr. Potter, with Sirius Black out, there's no telling what danger you could be in at Hogsmeade."

"So, let me get this straight." The boy leaned forward in his seat. "I can participate in Quidditch-a game played hundreds of feet in the air with ten pound balls of steel flying at me while I fly at breakneck speeds to catch a tiny, fluttering ball-without anyone even notifying my family, but if I want to go to a harmless town surrounded by highly trained witches and wizards?"

Dumbledore nodded for a moment, letting the silence thicken. "Glad we're on the same parchment."

The boy leapt from his seat. "Are you insane? I'd more likely die playing Quidditch than fighting a fire-breathing dragon."

"Well, that is true…"

"How can Hogsmeade be dangerous?"

The headmaster sighed. "Harry, as I said before, with Sirius Black on the loose, there's no telling what kind of danger you're in. He could kidnap you, torture you, slaughter you, and we wouldn't be able to stop it." He motioned around him. "Here at Hogwarts, you're perfectly safe."

Harry quirked a brow. "Has there even been a Black sighting since he escaped?"

"Well," the man tilted his head, "none that were reported."

"I rest my case."

"And it was very well thought out," Dumbledore said, nodding. "My answer is still 'no'."

The boy huffed. He turned and walked out the door.

He walked down to Gryffindor Tower and slammed the portrait door shut behind him.

"Of all the…" Harry punched a pillow on the couch before flopping down. "I'm still going to Hogsmeade. I don't care what that flashy, good-for-nothing."

"Harry, no!" Hermione whined.

"Why not?"

"Because they're only doing this out of concern for your safety."

"What safety? The 'mass murderer' everyone is scared about is currently drooling on my bed dreaming-supposedly-of chasing Pettigrew off a cliff." Harry scowled. "At least, that's what he tells me."

"But-but that's against the rules."

Draco's brow creased. "You're fine with making Polyjuice in a girls' bathroom without the appropriate approval, don't shy away from sneaking a dragon out of school, and don't even bat an eye at sneaking into the restricted section, but this is where you draw the line? Harry having a little bit of fun?"

Hermione huffed.

"It's for his own protection." She placed her hands on her hips. "Black may not be out to get him, but that does not mean that there are not other death eaters willing to line up to take his supposed place." She shook her head. "Not only that, but dementors are flying over as we speak. What would Harry do if he found himself up against a dementor?"

"Use my patronus?" Harry said, smirking.

"And where did you learn this highly complicated, nearly impossible spell, Harry?"

"Professor Lupin…this…year. Oh, you mean, when someone asks me? Oh, I didn't think about that." The boy sighed. He hated when Hermione was right. "But that doesn't mean I can't go out under my invisibility cloak and get some candy or prank products from Zonko's."

Dragon woke up to the last suggestion and came padding over to the group. He began licking Harry's face.

"Oh yes, the terrifying mass murderer, who is currently liking his target's face," Draco said, smiling.

Hermione giggled. She sighed. "It's up to you, Harry, but I really hope you reconsider."

Green eyes rolled. "I guess I can stay. I really should catch up with Remus anyway." Dragon perked up. The boy shook his head. "No, not you. You'll go to another part of the castle where I know you won't expose yourself to your best friend."

Draco winced. "Uhm, Harry, wording. Wording, my friend, wording."

"What?" He asked, scrunching up his face. "Oh, eww. Draco, you knew what I meant. Get your mind out of the gutter."

Dragon gagged. The group laughed.

The day of Hogsmeade came and, with it, the promises from Hermione and Draco to bring him back candy and pranks. He thanked them and hugged them before they left.

"Watch out for Black!" Harry warned jokingly.

Hermione and Draco laughed and nodded before heading out. Harry then walked towards Professor Lupin's office. Dragon followed.

"Dragon, no. You can't come with. Leave."

The dog whined, but turned and wandered off.

Harry knocked on Professor Lupin's door. The man opened it and welcomed him in.

"Ah, Harry. What a lovely surprise. I'm sorry, again, about the fact you couldn't go to Hogsmeade today. Maybe next time, when I will be supervising." Remus said, offering the boy some tea. Harry held back a moan. Mother Remus following him around, hovering? Not his idea of a good time.

"No, it's fine, Professor Lupin."

The wolf laughed. "Harry, when we're alone, you may call me Remus." The man placed some scones and biscuits on a plate before handing it to the boy. "I was surprised your friends and you didn't have a little party again this year. Last year's was so great."

Harry sighed. "That's actually why I came." The werewolf quirked a brow. "I was wondering if you could tell me a story about my parents. I figured-since I'm stuck here-I might as well hold some sort of a memorial for them."

"Of course, Harry." Remus sat for a moment, tapping his knee. "Have I ever told you of when Lily finally agreed to go on a date with your father?"

"No," the boy shook his head. "I don't think you have."

"Well-as I'm sure you know-your mother was quite against your father until about Christmas of sixth year. James had finally agreed to listen to our advice and stopped asking her out." Remus tilted his head. "He also stopped pranking with malicious intent, interestingly enough." The man shrugged. "They became friends by the summer before seventh year and even wrote a little over break. When we found out your father-of all people-was set to be head boy, he had a new mindset. He had to be responsible. I, for one, never thought it would happen."

"Really?"

The man nodded. "I said the day James started acting responsibly I would kiss the giant squid. Let me tell you," Remus scrunched his nose, "the giant squid wasn't very happy."

Harry laughed.

"When we got to school, some friends and I made our bets as to when they would either kill each other or kiss each other."

"Why?"

"Being head girl and head boy, they had to spend almost every waking moment together. Looking back," the man's brow creased, "I wonder if Professor Dumbledore hadn't had some nefarious relationship plot. Suddenly, James realized Lily might have feelings for him. He started planning different ways to ask her out...

"Finally, it was the big day. He walked into the Great Hall. He was dressed to the nines, hair slicked back-to this day he could never replicate that-shoes polished, the works. He had this big speech prepared about learning responsibility, and how he wanted to be responsible to her and for her. I was impressed to say the least.

"However, Lily asked him out before he could even say 'Hi'. He stuttered. He didn't know what to do. In all his planning, he hadn't dreamed of her asking him out."

"What did he do?" Harry asked, leaning forward.

Remus laughed. "He said, 'No, that's not how it's supposed to happen,' and stomped his foot. She looked deflated and walked out of the Great Hall. When James had finally recovered his mind, he went after her." The man waved. "The rest is history."

Harry smiled. "She really asked him out?"

Remus nodded, chuckling lightly. "Threw him through a right loop. I thought Sirius was about to shout 'Ten points to Gryffindor'." Remus paused, the twinkle in his eyes dulling. He swallowed. "Enough about the past. It wouldn't do to look at the past and forget to live in the here and now."

The boy nodded. "Thanks, Remus. I really love hearing about my parents. I really appreciate hearing anything I can about them."

The last marauder spent hours regaling the lad with numerous pranks, adventures, and conquests made during his time at Hogwarts. He often skimmed over portions that might incriminate any of them, though it wasn't lost on Harry the numerous amount of times the man mentioned these things happening during certain portion of the month.

"Remus…" The boy tilted his head, eyes sparkling.

"Yes, Harry?"

"Why is it that you and your friends always did things during the full moon?"

The professor opened his mouth, sputtering, when Professor McGonagall burst into his office.

"Oh, thank Merlin, Minerva," Remus said, shoulders sagging in relief.

The deputy headmistress ignored him. She threw her hands in the air, her eyes wide with terror. "The Fat Lady has gone missing!"

"What?" the wolf asked, squinting. "How?"

"I don't know, Remus," the woman said, hands on hips. "I'd ask her, but seeing as she's not currently available for questioning…"

"You know what, Minerva, sometimes your sarcasm hurts."

"Ugh," Harry said, rubbing his eyes. "Guys?" The two professors turned to him. "Why don't we talk about this later? You know, when the guard for the Gryffindor common room isn't abandoning her post?"

Their eyes widened. Professor McGonagall turned on her heel and ran out of the room. The other two rushed after her. A weight dropped into Harry's gut. What had Sirius done?

They arrived to find the portrait slashed and Dragon cowering under Harry's stern gaze. All the other Gryffindors gathered around the portrait hole, wondering how they were to get in. Hermione glared, but Draco grimaced.

"What's going on? Why is everyone so upset?" the blond asked, scanning the crowd for any sign of an answer.

"Dragon," Harry muttered. The dog averted his eyes.

The crowd parted, revealing a glowering headmaster. "What seems to be the matter here?"

"That's what I would like to know," Draco mumbled. They all searched for the Fat Lady, finding her cowering in the portrait she ran to hid in last time.

"I saw him. It was Sirius Black! Sirius Black was here, trying to get in. It was awful!" The Fat Lady cried.

Draco's shoulders sagged. He glared at the whimpering dog, who cowed further.

Remus scowled. "Sirius Black? In the castle?" He eyed Harry and placed a protective arm around the lad.

"What exactly happened?" Dumbledore asked her.

"I changed the password today, as it was the last of the month. He came up and muttered the previous password. I told him he had said the wrong word, and then I recognized him. I tried to scream, but he had a knife." The Fat Lady fainted dramatically.

Hermione quirked a brow at Dragon. "Where did you get a knife?" She whispered. Dragon whined.

"He became enraged and started attacking my portrait. I had to jump out of it to protect myself. Once I was gone, he ran away. I will never forget his blond head retreating toward the stairs."

"Blond?" Remus mouthed, his face scrunched.

Harry growled and looked again at Dragon. He motioned for Hermione and Draco to come with him. He grabbed the scruff of Dragon's neck and pulled him toward the Room of Requirement, glad the Fat Lady was such a great distraction. When they made it to the hallway, they were only half-surprised to meet Luna.

"I heard something happened over near Gryffindor Tower. The rumor is Sirius Black has been spotted," Luna said, smiling.

Draco paced the length of the hall and opened the door. He motioned for the ladies to go first. He let Harry drag in Dragon before he closed the door.

Hermione turned to Harry. "You do realize they'll pitch a fit when they notice you're gone?"

He ignored her, preferring to deal with the dunderhead who started this mess. "Change. Now."

Dragon changed, his eyes still averted.

Draco paced the room, hyperventilating. "It's over! We're doomed! We will all be sentenced to Azkaban for harboring a fugitive." He shook his head. "I had so much left to live for. I was going to get married, have children, see my parents off to Azkaban…"

Hermione sighed. "Draco!" She ran over to the boy, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. "Snap out of it! No one is going to be sent to Azkaban for harboring a fugitive."

He leaned into the touch. He sighed.

"Okay, okay. I'm good!"

Luna smiled. "Yeah, the punishment for harboring a fugitive is the Kiss."

"Not helping…"

"Explain." Harry demanded, ignoring the others.

"In my defense, I was left unsupervised." The man started. "I was left alone with my thoughts. It was the worst timing possible, really, considering the fact that Pettigrew was up there, nibbling on some cheese, not a care in the world." Sirius gritted his teeth. "The people he betrayed twelve years ago will never have that luxury."

Harry scrunched his nose. "My parents liked cheese?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Not the time, Harry."

"I wanted him to pay for what he did." Sirius growled.

"He will," Harry said, walking over and placing a hand on his godfather's shoulder. "One day, he will."

Sirius smiled at him. The group nodded. Luna walked over and hugged the man. Hermione followed. Soon, the group was in one big hug, remembering and mourning that day.

A/N: All familiar content taken from _Prisoner of Azkaban_ pg. 190-198


	32. Chapter 32

The Marauder's Map

"Oh, stop that now," Hermione said, grabbing onto Dragon's tail. He whimpered, but turned his head back to the quidditch pitch. He started barking. "Seriously, Dragon. Knock it off."

Luna smiled. "They're good flyers, aren't they?"

Dragon's head bounced.

"I'm sure Dragon appreciates being allowed out every once in a while," Remus said, patting his side. Hermione's eyes widened. "It's not right for dogs to be cooped up inside all the time."

"Oh, yeah, right," the young Gryffindor said, sighing in relief.

"What did you think I was saying?"

"Well, I didn't want to have to say it…"

"She promised Dragon he could watch Harry play." Luna smirked.

Remus quirked a brow. "You promised a dog he could watch his owner fly?"

"You had a stuffed rabbit named Reginald," Professor Snape said behind them. He glared at the two girls. "And what are you two doing in the teacher's stands?"

"Professor Lupin invited us," Luna said, patting the bench. "It's warm up here."

Dragon turned back to the game, panting. His godson was an amazing seeker. No one could argue that. The way his eyes roamed the field, the lazy circles and fast dives...All of it reminded the animagus of his friend. He whined.

He turned to watch the blond chaser score another goal. His cousin wasn't half-bad himself. He had as much natural talent as Harry did, though not geared toward the detail-oriented task of finding a glittery, miniscule orb amongst a large patch of green.

"Harry," Remus growled and the animagus turned, catching sight of the boy diving, coming only inches from the ground before pulling up. He smiled, watching Cedric Diggory pull up as well.

"He pulled a feint. He didn't really see the ball," Luna told them, eyes sparkling as they followed the messy-haired boy to the other end of the field.

"He could have gotten Diggory killed," Professor Snape said, his brow quirked.

"He wouldn't have done it if he knew Cedric would get hurt," Hermione said, turning to face her professor.

"Oh, I know that, Miss Granger. Mr. Potter has never been one to purposefully put others in danger…" The potions professor held up a finger. "He didn't galavant through a gauntlet of increasingly dangerous tasks to fight the man who killed his parents. He never escaped down to the Chamber of Secrets and fought a basilisk. And never once did he ask his friends to join him."

"Actually, sir," Hermione said, smiling, "he never invited us. We always joined in ourselves."

"And it wasn't any of you who stole precious ingredients from my stores last year…."

"What?" Hermione's mouth dropped.

Professor Snape's brow furrowed. "You're telling me you didn't make polyjuice last year?" The young girl shook her head slowly. "Then who stole my Boomslang skin?"

Hermione nibbled her lip.

"I'd check the Weasley stores," Luna said, watching Harry climb higher in the air. "I overheard Ronald talking with Percy about extra potion not being used, and what he could do to get a few of the headmaster's hairs."

"We warned him not to do it."

"He told you he was brewing it?" Professor Lupin asked, turning to face the young girl.

"Oh no!" Pomona gasped. Screams filled the air. The four turned in time to see Harry-unconscious-falling from the sky.

"Harry!" Remus called out. He pointed his wand toward the boy. "Wingardium Leviosa."

Draco watched as his friend grabbed the snitch. Harry was never more free than on a broom, and as his hand wrapped around the golden ball-even from a distance away-the blond could see the green-eyed boy smile. His own smile vanished when he saw the black cloak headed for his friend.

"Harry!" the blond called out. But it was too late. He watched the boy fall from his broom. He flew toward his friend, catching Remus's eye before veering off-course toward the boy's Nimbus. The DADA professor had things under control with Harry. It wouldn't do for the Gryffindor seeker to be without a broom.

Draco dismounted, Nimbus 2000 in hand, and walked toward the growing group of concerned spectators.

"Ow." The blond rubbed his head, glaring at the young Gryffindor girl who slapped it.

"Harry was plummeting to his death and your first thought was 'Save the Broom'?" Hermione said, hands on hips.

Draco rolled his eyes.

"He didn't die last time. Professor Lupin and Dumbledore were there to keep anything from going wrong. This way, we still have our seeker _and_ his broom. I didn't much fancy the idea of looking around for splinters all afternoon."

Harry sat up, scanning the crowd before he caught sight of his friends. He smiled.

"Out of my way. Out of my way." Madame Pomphrey forced her way into the middle of the growing crowd, kneeling beside the boy. "Let's see how bad the injury is."

"Actually," Harry said, straightening his glasses, "I'm fine. The dementor freaked me out…" He accepted the proffered chocolate from Remus. "...But I'm okay. I don't hurt. I didn't hit my head. And look." He held up the snitch, its wings fluttering slightly.

The mediwitch glared. "You still need to go to the hospital wing. There could be all sorts of internal damage…"

Professor Snape drew his wand, swishing it a few times. "He seems perfectly fine, Madame. You can take a look, if you'd like." He held up the medical scan, handing it to her.

She glared. "Fine." The mediwitch huffed, throwing the parchment back at the potions professor. "Go! Have an aneurysm for all I care."

"Can quidditch falls cause aneurysms?" Luna asked, helping Harry to his feet.

"If they did, James and Sirius would have died at seventeen with thirty a piece," Remus said, hugging the boy. He glared at Draco. "How about you all go to the come-and-go-room. I'll be there in a bit."

"Great catch, Prongslet! You're even better than James was!" Sirius said, his animagus form shed once they closed the door.

Harry blushed. "I knew I would pass out soon from the dementors, so I figured I should catch the snitch quickly. This way, Cedric isn't complaining that it was an unfair match and that we should hold a rematch."

Draco snorted, crossing his arms. "Cedric Diggory seems like quite the 'Prince Charming', doesn't he?"

Hermione stared into the distance. "Yeah, I'm not surprised Cho was in love with him."

The blond's eyes narrowed.

"Who's Cho?" Sirius asked.

Before any could answer, the door flung open. Sirius changed back into Dragon in a flash. Luna came traipsing in, followed by an irate Remus. He went straight to Draco.

"Of all the things you could have done, you went after the _broom_? Harry could have died!"

"But he didn't." The blond put his hands on his hips. "I knew you were there. I knew you would protect him. I was just thinking of the fact that Harry would kill me if I let his broom get destroyed in the Whomping Willow, where it seemed to be headed."

"As long as you were thinking about Harry, as well."

Luna went and hugged the messy-haired boy. "I'm glad you're alright Harry."

Harry smiled widely and accepted the hug willingly. Remus rushed over to him, pulled him out of his hug with Luna, and began checking him over.

"Remus, I'm fine."

The professor huffed. "You fell seventy feet in the air, young man. You could have died." Remus worried.

Harry sighed.

"But I didn't. Everything is fine, Remus."

The man hugged the boy, and they found themselves in another group hug, again.

A few weeks later found Harry extremely bored as Hermione and Draco prepared themselves for another Hogsmeade weekend. The snow had just begun to fall and Dragon whined.

"Dragon, no," Harry said, his eyes following the dog's gaze to the window. "You will get all wet and then I'll have to give you a bath again. Remember last time? It didn't go very well."

They were the only ones in the dorm, so Sirius transformed.

"I told you, I can do it myself," the man said, arms crossed.

The boy threw his hands in the air. "And what do I tell my roommates? 'My dog is giving himself a bath. Don't go into the bathroom'?"

"Well, there are such things as disillusionment charms."

"Harry, are you sure you don't want us to stay here with you?" Hermione asked, entering.

He shook his head. "You know I'll be out there soon. The twins just have to give me the map, remember?"

"When I'm innocent, I really need to meet these twins." Sirius rubbed his hands together. "Oh, the things I can do when we get the map back…"

"You will do nothing," Hermione said, her finger wagging. "We can't have Remus figuring out that you're out and about here. We need to keep a low profile, and that includes no pranks from you."

"Fine." Sirius smiled, "I'll just have to train my protégé."

Harry quirked a brow. "Which one?"

The man tilted his head. "Well, my cousin over here is quite devious, but I was thinking more along the lines of you, Harry."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Please, teach me your ways, oh great one. I would love to end up in Azkaban along with you."

Sirius stuck out his tongue at him. "My pranks aren't that bad."

The blond glared at the animagus. "One nearly killed my godfather."

"That wasn't so much a prank as I wanted to get him off our backs."

"By killing him?" The ex-Slytherin placed his hands on his hips.

"I wasn't going to be the one killing him, technically," the man sighed, "and I didn't want him _killed_ , just scared enough to leave us alone."

"You should apologize for that, you know," Harry said, shaking his head. "Really, all of it. It was quite a rotten thing to do."

"He started it!" Sirius whined.

Green eyes narrowed. "How did he start it?"

"He was in Slytherin," the man said, shrugging. "Those snakes deserved it."

"Hey!" Draco wailed, grabbing up Severys and holding him close. He pet the snake several times. "Don't worry, he didn't mean it, baby."

Sirius turned to Harry. "That kid has some problems." Harry stared for a moment before nodding in agreement.

FPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFP

"Get your hands off me. Stop that this instant," Harry demanded. Dragon barked, panting and yipping at the twins' feet.

"We've come to give you a bit of festive cheer before we go to Hogsmeade," said Fred.

"Early Christmas present for you, Harry," George continued, setting the boy down as they settled into an empty classroom.

Fred brought out the map. "This is the key to our success."

"It's a wrench, giving it to you…"

"...But we decided your need is greater than ours."

"We have it memorized, anyway," George said, holding it out to give to Harry.

"Where'd you get this?" Harry asked, brow quirking.

"Ol' Filch had it in a box marked _Confiscated and Highly Dangerous_."

"So, of course," Fred smirked, "we had to take it."

" _I solemnly swear I'm up to no good_." George laid the map down on a desk. "It shows you the entirety of Hogwarts, along with all its secret passageways."

"It also gives you a detailed account of where everyone is at the school."

Harry grimaced. "Doesn't your dad have a thing about not trusting anything when you can't see it's brain?"

"Eh," George shrugged, "we've had this thing for almost five years. It hasn't steered us wrong yet."

"These Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are legends. Whoever they are, we bow to them as our mighty overlords."

Dragon panted and yipped.

"See," George smiled. "Even Dragon here acknowledges their greatness."

"Well," Fred said with a wave, "off to do our thing. Have fun!"

The twins left, scurrying toward the entrance hall.

"Ready to go to Hogsmeade, Dragon?" Harry asked. The animagus barked.

They headed to town, both hidden underneath the invisibility cloak. They found Hermione and Draco talking near the Three Broomsticks. Dragon could not contain himself any longer, so he barked. Draco startled and looked around, while Hermione glared in their direction.

"At least have the decency to leave the dog at home," Hermione said, placing her hands on her hips. Harry rolled his eyes and followed them over to the Shrieking Shack.

"Got the map?" Draco asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He'd heard of the map in passing several times, but he'd never gotten to see it for himself.

"Yep, it's right here." The messy-haired boy held up the parchment. Draco gazed at it longingly.

"Amazing. How do you open it?" Draco asked, Severys slithering out to take a peek, too.

Harry smiled. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The map unfolded and began to spread out, showing the location of every person still at Hogwarts castle.

"Cool," the blond whispered. He pointed down at the dungeons. "There's Uncle Sev."

"Where else would he be?" Green eyes sparkled. "There's Luna, in the library."

"Where else would she be?" the ex-Slytherin mocked, hands on hips.

"Boys," Hermione muttered under her breath. She scanned the parchment, trying her hardest to ignore her friends. "Uhm, Harry. I don't think anyone else should get this."

"Of course not," the boy said, scowling. "I'd never let something from my dad out of my sight. But why are you concerned about this getting into anyone else's hands?" She pointed to the boys' dorm, where one name stood out. "Yeah, Peter Pettigrew. We all know he's there, but in a few months, he'll be gone."

Silver eyes widened in understanding. "What about Sirius?"

Harry shrugged. "You really think anyone would question it now? The twins have had this thing for over four years. How did they not think about Pettigrew? The map's said for three years now that their brother's been sleeping with some guy long dead. They're not the most observant bunch."

"Well, this is all well and good, but _I_ know I have Christmas shopping to get done. Meet you at the Three Broomsticks?" Hermione said, smiling. Draco and Harry nodded in agreement. "Alright, see you soon." They all went their separate ways, trying to think about what the others wanted. This was sure going to be an interesting Christmas.


	33. Chapter 33

Christmas Year Three

Harry looked at all the wrapped presents on his bed. He had a book on astronomy for Draco, a wizarding romance novel for Hermione, and chocolate and a book on care of magical creatures for Remus _._

Harry shook his head. Merlin, he needed more interesting friends. He grabbed the stuffed dragon for his best friend and began to wrap it, still considering what needed done before Christmas eve. He needed a present for Luna. Maybe some jewelry, though he got that for her last year, and….

...Crap. He hadn't even thought about professors. He usually got some candy for Dumbledore, and something for Hagrid, but he wasn't close with them now. No, there was one professor whom he never thought he'd need to get a present for, and he was probably the hardest to shop for.

The young Gryffindor flew out of the common room and ran down the halls. He finally stopped at his destination, gasping for breath. He knocked on the portrait and waited. Remus opened the door and smiled when he saw his visitor.

"What do I owe the pleasure?" he asked jokingly, motioning for Harry to come in. He pet Dragon in greeting. The dog accepted with pleasure, licking his friend's hand.

"Remus, can you take me to Gringotts?" Harry asked, furrowing his brow. "I underestimated the cost of Draco's present and don't have enough with me to buy what I want for Luna."

"Well, that's a problem." The lycanthrope frowned. "Haven't you set-up some debit system yet?"

The boy blushed. "You can do that in the wizarding world?"

"According to Siri…" the man trailed off. He shook his head. "Yes. I can help you with that."

"I'd still like to go. I want to get something for Professor Snape."

"Seriously?" The professor scowled. "No offense to Severus. I just didn't think you two were that close."

"The past two years he gave me something for Christmas, and this past year he got me a birthday present."

"So you feel the need to reciprocate?"

"He does a lot for me. He's saved me more times than I'd like to count."

Remus smirked. "Well, if you didn't go off half-cocked…"

"I know, I know." Green eyes rolled. "So, can you take me? I'd ask Professor McGonagall, but I'll need your opinion on what would be appropriate for a student to give his professor." The boy smiled. "She'll get all flustered."

"That's very kind of you, Harry," Remus said finally, running his fingers through his hair. "We can go ask your head of house for a short field trip, I'm sure."

"Thanks, Professor."

"It's Remus out of classes."

Harry nodded. "Okay."

"I'd take you right this second, but I don't want to overstep my bounds." The man grimaced. "If I were your guardian, this wouldn't matter, but that stupid ministry…"

"It's okay, Remus." Harry tugged at his mentor's sleeve. "Let's go ask now. There's only a few days for me to find the perfect gift for Professor Snape."

Remus sighed, shaking his head as he followed the boy down the hall. "Can I ask what Severus gave you? It might help me get a feel for his taste."

"Uh… Professor Snape gave me a book for first year-technically, he gave it to Draco for my present-but it included a picture of Mum, so that was from him. Second year, he gave me a journal and a _Potions for Dummies_ book. For my birthday, he gave me a fourth-year charms book that belong to Mom."

The DADA professor chuckled.

"He would, wouldn't he?" The man shook his head and smiled, "Well-obviously-he'll be looking for something with more sentiment, or perhaps a _Quidditch for Dummies_ book. You could find both, but I'd recommend the sentiment, not the joke."

Dragon whined. Moony took the fun out of everything.

"You know," Remus said as they continued toward McGonagall's, "I'm very proud of you. Your father would've left for Diagon Alley without even notifying me where he was going." He shook his head. "He never realized the rules applied to him. He always tried to pull one over on the professors."

"Really? How?"

His professor narrowed his eyes. "I'm not going to give you any ideas, am I?" The boy shook his head. "Well, there was one time-the only time ol' Slughorn stood up for Severus. Second year, I believe-James was so mad at the potions professor. He decided he wanted to get back at the man."

"What did he do?"

Remus sighed. "He came to me pretending to want an idea to pull on a Slytherin who'd been bullying Lily. I didn't know it was a professor…"

"And?"

"Well," Remus rubbed the back of his neck, "I knew of a passageway into Slytherin. I'd come across it when I was...too sick...to pay attention to where I was going. I told him about it, pretending Lily had said something to me about it. I mentioned it'd be neat to see the snake's bloomers flying over the Slytherin table rather than their flag…"

"Oh, no," Harry said, trembling in his attempt to keep in his laughter.

"Slughorn was red." The man chuckled. "He spluttered and demanded that the headmaster expel whoever got into his room."

"But he didn't."

"They could never prove it was your father."

They arrived at the Professor's office. Remus knocked on the door before entering. "Minerva."

"Remus, and Mr. Potter. What brings you here?" the transfiguration professor asked.

"Harry here still hasn't finished all his Christmas shopping and wishes to go to Diagon Alley to get money and any last-minute gifts. He asked me if I could take him." Remus shrugged. "I said it should be alright but I wanted to ask you, since you _are_ his head of house."

She tilted her head. "Oh, alright." She held up her finger. "But if you see any sign of Black or trouble, then you are to bring him back immediately, whether shopping is done or not!"

"Of course." Remus turned to his charge. "Come on Harry. Good Day, Minerva."

They walked together to the gate and apparated to Gringotts. They went to the vault to get Harry's money, and Harry insisted they look around for a while.

"Why? You have your money. We should get going if we are to find something for Severus."

"But you said something with sentiment," Harry said, shifting through some old documents. "I don't share a lot of sentiment with Professor Snape, so how am I going to buy something sentimental? When they cleaned out my Mum and Dad's house, most of it went here, right?"

"It should be." The man picked up an old picture frame. "Whatever I didn't keep automatically went here. Unless Dumbledore gave some things to Severus, which I _highly_ doubt."

Harry looked pointedly at Remus. Remus gave a nod of understanding, and started looking through a couple documents.

"Letters, financial statements, healer textbooks, defense books," Upon finding a baby book, the man smiled and chuckled emotionlessly. "This was your favorite book. You were constantly begging me to read it to you. 'Moo'ey, Moo'ey, wead'" He opened the book and began skimming it. He shook his head to get rid of the memory.

Harry watched him. "Why? Did you read better than anyone else?"

"Apparently, I did the voices better, yes." Remus smiled gravely, still looking in the book. Harry went back to looking through a pile of documents. He glanced at Remus, who had finally put down the baby book. He was looking at a potions book, squinting and holding it close to his face.

"Is there a problem?" Harry asked, concerned with the man's pained expression.

"Don't know really. This book...it's probably ancient runes or something. All I can decipher is gibberish."

"Really?" They boy took the book. "It looks like a Potions textbook." He read a few lines. "Yup definitely a Potions book. Really old, if you ask me."

Remus picked up a note that went with it. His eyes widened. "You have got to be kidding me."

"What?" Harry asked. Remus dumbfoundedly handed over the note.

 _Notes on Potions Journal of Salazar Slytherin_

 _For Severus,_

 _I found this in what I think is a secret passage way. I should do more research on the place. I hope this can be used as an olive branch. Perhaps a dove depending on what part of the metaphor you're looking at._

 _Happy Christmas_

 _Lily Evans_

 _P.S. I know you meant no harm._

 _06-12-77_

Harry stood there, smiling. This was exactly what he was searching for.

"Perfect."

"If it truly is from Salazar Slytherin, that explains why I can't understand it and you can." The man smirked. "Shall we go then? It looks like you'll have a lot of work to do."

They finished up the rest of their shopping and walked back to Hogwarts. They were met at the gate by Dragon. Harry tucked the book closer to him and made his way to the tower.

"Harry," Hermione gasped. She turned the book a few times in her hand.

He smirked. "I know right. Perfect, huh?"

"This should go to a historian. Do you realize what an amazing discovery this is? If you can translate it, it would lead to potions discoveries, new understandings of history..."

"Who cares about the advancement in potions?" the ex-Slytherin asked. "Do you realize what this is? It's the personal potions journal of Salazar Slytherin! Yes, potions advancement is important, but _Salazar_ _Slytherin_! Gosh, Harry, you're going to make my present to Uncle Sev seem miniscule compared to this."

Sirius grumbled, flopping onto the bed. "Who cares?"

"Me cares." Draco admired the book, holding it gently in his hands. Hermione smacked him on the back of his head to snap him out of his trance. He sheepishly looked down at his lap. She rolled her eyes.

Harry laughed at his friends. "It'll be perfect, once it's translated." He sighed, staring at the tome. "I wish I could have someone help me. Otherwise, I'll be here all night. I might not even finish before Christmas, unless…." He trailed off, looking at Hermione.

"What are you thinking Harry?" she asked, eyes narrowing.

He glanced at the spot where he knew the time turner rested around her neck.

"No, no way am I letting you use it."

"Please."

Sirius leaned over to Draco. "Do you know what they are talking about?"

"Nope," the blond said, shaking his head.

"Fine," Harry said, throwing up his hands. "I better get started. I want to be seen some time before I reach my majority."

On Christmas Eve, he finally finished translating the parseltongue engraved book. The only breaks he'd taken were for food, bathroom, and a 20-minute nap here and there. It had been a lot of work, but it was done.

"Harry, mate," Ron said, running up to him as he descended the stairs. "We thought you were dead."

Ginny smiled, brushing her fingers against his arm. "It's good to see you again."

"Yeah," Neville nodded, "we were concerned, but Draco said you were just working on a project"

"I'm fine, really." Green eyes surveyed the common room. "Where is Draco?"

The group shrugged. Apparently, the blond scion of a death eater wasn't their biggest concern, and they didn't feel the need to keep up on his whereabouts.

Harry rolled his eyes at his useless dorm mates and ran upstairs to get his map and wrap his last present.

Several minutes later, the boy-who-lived found himself knocking on the door of the most feared potions professor. He held his breath. His eyes widened as the door opened.

"What are you doing here, Harry?" Draco asked, his brow creased. He leaned against the door jam. "How did you find me?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "I took a wild guess." He pulled out a piece of parchment from his pocket. The blond nodded.

"Mr. Potter," Professor Snape said, walking over to the pair. "To what do I owe the pleasure?

The green-eyed boy held out a wrapped package. "This is for you Professor." The man took it, turning it a few times in his hand and quirking a brow. "It's a Christmas present, sir." The man glared. "No, I didn't prank it or lace it with anything. I'm not my father."

The dark man nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Potter." He set the gift on the desk. "To what do I owe said present?"

"You've given me presents," Harry said, hands behind his back. "In first year, I thought you gave me a present out of, well, out of either pity or as a treaty or something like that. Then, I got your present last year and a birthday present and decided to repay the favor." He smiled. "I really enjoyed Mom's charms book. I appreciate it."

The Professor sighed. "You're welcome, Mr. Potter. I shall open it tomorrow." He glanced at the clock. "You two should run along to dinner before Weasley eats it all."

The boys smirked.

"We will," Harry said, shooing his friend away with him.

"That was odd. We were in the middle of a conversation." Draco huffed, crossing his arms. He glanced at Harry. "Where has Dragon run off to? Why isn't he with you?"

The boy shrugged. "I thought he was following you or Hermione around. I haven't seen him since I started on Professor Snape's present." His eyes widened and he turned to his friend. "You're telling me he wasn't with you?"

Draco shook his head. "Mione's been in the library and I've spent the past three days catching up with Uncle Sev."

Harry furrowed his brow and took out the map. The name Sirius Black was following the name Remus Lupin. He sighed.

"I think we have to go save Remus."

"Why? Oh…"

They ran through the corridors toward the DADA office.

"Oof!" All three wizards fell to the ground.

"Harry?" Remus stood, rubbing his sore bum. "What's the rush?" He shook his head and scowled. "Where have you been? I've taken up babysitting Dragon here for you because he refused to go find you. Have you been alright?"

"Yeah, Remus, we're fine," Harry said, also standing. "I was just looking for Dragon. I've been up the past couple days working on Professor Snape's present and Dragon here seemed to have wandered off."

The man nodded. "Alright well...you should probably go eat. Did you really finish translating?"

The boy nodded. "Took me until about an hour ago. Don't worry, I still ate and slept." Dragon pawed at his friend, whining. He made as if to transform.

"Professor Lupin, I think you're right," Draco grabbed his friend and pulled him, motioning toward the dog.

"Yeah," Harry said, panicking. "We should go eat. Dragon."

The dog perked his ears. He whined.

"See ya, Remus." The boy grabbed his dog's scruff and started pulling. "I hope you like my gift."

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Harry scolded, once they were out of earshot.

Sirius led them in to an abandoned classroom and turned into his human form. "I didn't expose myself to him. Gosh, that really does sound bad."

Harry rolled his eyes at the statement. "You were about to."

"But I didn't."

"Good. Just don't go off wandering again." The boy crossed his arms. "You should have stayed with Draco or Hermione, not gone straight to Remus."

Sirius nodded. "I just wanted to spend time with him. I miss him so much, and he's the only friend I've got left now and he glares every time my name comes up. I saw him reading the paper yesterday." Sirius shivered. "He hates me."

"No, he doesn't," Harry said, placing a hand on his godfather's arm. "He hates the man he thinks betrayed and murdered his best-and only-friends. When he realizes it wasn't you, he'll hate Peter even more than he has ever hated you."

 _Meanwhile in Severus Snape's office._

Tears fell from the Potions teacher's eyes as he looked at the present the Golden Boy had given him. The last gift Lily had planned on giving him. A peace treaty, marked only days before she had found out what he was. _She had wanted to make things right,_ he thought. S _he had wanted to become friends again. If only I had made the right choice. If only I hadn't become a death eater- maybe she would still be alive._


	34. Chapter 34

Patronus Lessons

Harry sighed. He tapped his foot, trying not to show how anxious he was. Why would Professor Snape ask him to stay behind after potions class? That was never good.

He waited, watching the professor wave to everyone, closing the door behind him.

"Alright Mr. Potter. You've had your fun."

"What?" the boy asked, brow furrowing.

"The book," Professor Snape said, crossing his arms. "You've had your laugh, but it's over. Just admit it's a fake and we'll pretend this never happened."

"I'm not my father, Professor Snape," Harry said, leaning on the desk behind him. "I would never joke like that. It's the real deal."

"But...but…" the professor sputtered. "Where did you get it?"

"From my vault." The boy shrugged. "Truthfully-as the letter said-it was from my mum. I just translated it from parseltongue." He quirked a brow. "Although, how Mum thought you'd get any use out of it-without a parselmouth close by-is anyone's guess. Maybe she thought it'd make a nice coffee table book."

Professor Snape rolled his eyes. "No one in their right mind would place a priceless book on a coffee table." He sighed. "I am sorry for the assumption, but…"

Harry held up his hand. "Nope. No apology needed. If Zabini's son ever handed something to me telling me it was a priceless Gryffindor journal, I'd laugh in his face."

"Well, thank you."

"No problem. She wanted you to have it."

"Well," the potions master said, unfolding his arms and taking a seat at his desk. "I do appreciate it." He smiled. "Now, you should move along back to your dorm before Minerva comes barging in accusing me of using you for potions ingredients."

Harry smirked, nodding. He ran back to the Gryffindor common room, throwing a quick "goodbye" behind him. Once there, he opened his sack to reveal his completed-but not turned in-homework.

"Dang," he said, turning to Hermione. "I guess I'm going to slip in my spot as third best potions student. He's going to count my homework as late."

"Maybe you can hand it in for partial credit if you go back now," Hermione said, not looking up from her book on ancient runes.

"Nah," Draco said, putting his quill down as he glanced at his friend, "Uncle Sev's probably already gone to his private quarters. His office hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays, not Mondays."

"Wait," Harry scrunched his nose, "but you always have potions class on Wednesday nights. How is that?"

Draco shrugged. "What Uncle Sev and I do in our private time is none of your business, Scarhead."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Hermione mumbled, flipping a page.

On Thursday, Harry slunk down to potions, a heavy weight on him. He knew his position would drop as soon as everyone's homework was returned.

"Oh, come now," Draco said, patting him on the back. "The Harry Potter I remember didn't care a lick about grades."

"The Harry Potter you remember was too busy trying to survive another year without too many deadly surprises." Harry readjusted his strap. "This Harry Potter cares very much about his grades. The world is his oyster, and he could get any job he wants if he applies himself."

"And this Harry Potter is currently talking in third-person," Hermione said, popping out from the adjacent hall.

"Wait," Draco scrunched his brow. "Didn't you say you were going back to your room to get your potions essay?"

"Yeah, and I got it." She held up the ink-stained parchment.

"Yes, but you should've come the opposite direction."

Hermione shrugged. "A staircase moved last second. I was able to maneuver myself without wasting too much time."

Harry shook his head and rolled his eyes. Was she that bad of a liar last time?

They entered the potions classroom and plopped down at the front table. Professor Snape sat at his desk, grading papers.

"Ah, good, the three of you are here." He stood up, walking over to the Gryffindors. "Harry, I officially congratulate you. Your essay scored the highest of all the others."

"Wait. What?" All three said in unison.

"Yes. I was surprised, as well."

"Uhm, but Professor, I forgot it…"

"It was surely the best in the class. You must have my essay confused with some other class." He sat down, turning back to his grading. "Also, because of your high-standing in the class, you are exempt from the next assignment."

"Seriously?" Harry asked, brow furrowed. He glanced over at his friends. "What about them? They're higher up than I am."

The potions master quirked a brow and smirked. "Yes, but if I excused the two of them, they would both take personal offense and do it anyway."

Harry smirked, pulling out a roll of parchment and a quill. Well, he wasn't wrong.

"I cannot believe Professor Snape is playing favorites again," Hermione huffed as they exited the class. "Not giving a student homework is just preposterous! It was bad enough we could always tell he favored Draco, but now he isn't giving you-of all people-homework. How are you ever going to learn?"

"Why wouldn't my godfather favor me?" Draco asked, scowling. "I deserved it! I'm talented in potions."

"Shut up." She crossed her arms over her chest. "No teacher should ever favor their students. If it were right, then perhaps Professor Lupin should give points willy-nilly to Harry for breathing. Perhaps McGonagall should let him leave class early. I mean, he defeated Lord Voldermort three times already. Professor Snape isn't a just teacher!"

"Hey! Professor Snape is a brilliant teacher," Harry said, scowling.

"I never said he wasn't brilliant, I said he wasn't moral."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"With that said," he smirked, watching his two friends glare at each other, "I have to go meet Remus and pretend I have no clue how to produce a Patronus. See you."

Dragon got up from where he was laying and started to follow his godson. "Where do you think you're going?" Harry grabbed the scruff of his neck, "Uh uh, no, you are going to stay here. This is between Remus and me. You can stay here and chase Severys around the dorm again."

Draco's mouth fell agape.

"Hey!" he shouted, holding the snake wrapped around his arm close to his face, "I'm sure he doesn't mean it, Sevy. Just ignore the mean ol' Harry." Draco booped the snake on his nose.

"We have got to get him a girlfriend," Harry snorted. "'Mione?"

"What?" she asked, glancing up from her essay.

Harry rolled his eyes, turning to Dragon one last time.

"Stay."

He walked down the corridors. Meandering a bit until he reached his destination Harry knocked on the door. Remus came up behind him carrying a large packing case, wand carried in his mouth, and motioned for Harry to open the door. He walked in and dropped the large case on the floor.

Remus then turned towards Harry. "Are you ready?"

"I am." He surveyed the case. "What's that?"

"Another boggart," Remus leaned on it, crossing his legs and his arms. "I've been combing the castle ever since Tuesday, and very luckily, I found this one lurking inside Mr. Filch's filing cabinet. It's the nearest we'll get to a real dementor." Harry scowled. "The boggart will-more likely than not-turn into a dementor when he sees you, so we'll be able to practice on him. I can store him here when we're not using him; there's a cupboard under my desk he'll like."

"Okay."

"So…" Remus took his own wand from where he had set it on the table, indicating that Harry should do the same. "The spell I am going to try to teach you is highly advanced magic, Harry. Well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level. It's called the Patronus Charm."

"How does it work?"

"Well, when it works correctly, it conjures up a Patronus," the professor pulled out a textbook, flipping to a picture of a murky shield. "which is kind of an anti-dementor—a guardian that acts as a shield between you and a dementor. The Patronus is a positive force, a projection of the very things that dementors feed upon—hope, happiness, the desire to survive—but it can't feel despair, as real humans can, so dementors can't hurt it. But I must warn you, Harry, that the charm might be too advanced for you. Many qualified wizards and witches have difficulty to produce a charm such as this."

"What does a Patronus look like?"

"It is unique for each individual."

Harry held back a sigh. "And how do you conjure it?"

"With an incantation, which will only work if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory."

Harry scrunched his brow. Would he have a happier memory this time? He could still use that picnic with his parents, but if he produced a fully formed patronus this early on, there would be questions. He really shouldn't be able to produce a wisp yet.

"Right," Harry said, nodding.

"The incantation is Expecto Patronum," Remus said, waving his wand.

"Expecto Patronum," Harry repeated.

"Now concentrate hard on your happy memory." The professor walked over to the trunk. "Are you ready for a dementor?"

"Always." Harry muttered. The boggart flew out of the trunk. The black, death-like creature was floating in the air as a ghost would. Harry paused for a moment and raised his wand to the beast, thinking about his friends and how amazing it was hearing stories about his parents.

"Expecto Patronum…. Expecto Patronum… EXPECTO PATRONUM!" He tried but nothing happened. He smirked, before paling and swaying.

Remus's face fell. He stood in front of the boy, letting to boggart change into a full moon before casting Riddikulus. Once the boggart was safely contained, Remus ran to his student.

"Harry! Are you alright? I knew this was a bad idea. Don't feel guilty. It's an almost impossible spell for a fully grown wizard, let alone a thirteen-year-old one." Remus scanned the boy for signs of distress. "Here eat this, you'll feel better." He handed Harry a piece of chocolate.

Harry graciously took the sweet and started nibbling on it. He tilted his head, nose scrunched.

"Remus, why is your boggart a moon?"

The man tensed. This might be James's son, but he also had Lily's mind. Just any lie wouldn't do. Remus sat still for a few minutes before rising and walking to his desk.

"Well, the moon is in space. My friends always liked to joke about sending someone to space without a spacesuit and I think that terrified me as a child."

Harry shook his head and sighed. "Look, Professor Lupin, I respect your decision to keep personal information to yourself, but don't insult my intelligence, please. I'm thirteen not three. That's probably the worst lie I've ever heard.

Remus sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Harry…"

"Like I said, you don't have to tell me," Harry said, raising a hand to stop his professor. "It's your business not mine. I just hope one day you'll feel comfortable telling me the truth."

Remus averted his eyes. "Thank you for not pushing further. And I'm sorry, I just don't feel comfortable with you knowing everything about me. At least not yet, Prongslet." He sighed once more. "I understand if you wish to be done for the night."

"No," Harry yelled, eyes widening. "I wanna be able to demolish a dementor if I ever come across one." He crossed his arms. "I'm not giving up just because you're keeping something from me. I mean if I gave up on something every time someone lied to me, I'd be a bum living on the streets, never able to practice magic cause I didn't know how."

"So, you still want to work with me?"

"Did you not just hear what I said?"

Remus laughed. "I didn't hear much after 'I wanna be able to demolish a dementor if I ever come across one'. I'm almost positive those are the exact words your father said when he decided to learn how to conjure a Patronus. Without the unnecessary expletives, of course." Remus's smile fell. "You do realize there isn't necessarily a way to 'demolish' dementors, right? The best you can do is defend yourself from them."

Harry scrunched his nose. "Yeah, well, if I can defeat Voldemort at the bright age of one-year-old, then I think my Patronus can demolish a dementor."

The professor shook his head. "What memory were you thinking of when you cast the spell? Maybe it wasn't strong enough."

The boy nibbled his lower lip. "The first time I rode a broom."

"My goodness, that's not strong enough. Is there any other happy memory you have that might be stronger?" Remus asked, his brow furrowing. "Think about a memory that not only is happy, but makes you feel your happiest and lightest. For example, I normally use the memory of your dad and our friends finally accepting me as their friend." He stared off, a small smile playing on his lips. "I grew up with no friends at all; someone accepting me for who I was happened to be a new, grand experience. Try something like that."

"Alright," Harry responded, "I can do that." Harry thought of a happier moment: Draco and Hermione laughing their heads off while they watched Finnegan and Zabini walk into the Great Hall in red and gold hair.

Remus let the Boggart out again. This time, when Harry said Expecto Patronum, a white wisp came out the end of his wand, just as the boy intended.

"Brilliant Harry, just brilliant," Remus said, clapping the boy on the back. "I knew you could do it!"

Harry smiled. "Thanks."

"Well, it's getting late and you have had a long, tiring night. Here, take some chocolate and get off to bed," the man said, handing the boy a piece of chocolate.

"Goodnight, Remus." Harry waved as the door to Remus' office closed.

"Goodnight," the man said, his smile dropping as he stared at the door. He snorted. How could he have missed so many years of this boy's life? And how could he ensure he would never miss more?


	35. Chapter 35

Planning the Future

"Are you sure you can manage that broom, Potter?" Draco asked, elbowing his friend in the rib.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes, ferret. I think I can handle the broom I rode for three-and-a-half years just fine."

Dragon barked, wagging his tail.

"No!" Hermione pointed her finger at the animagus. "I'm still angry with you."

Earlier that day, a suspiciously broom-shaped package had dropped down onto the table during breakfast. With classes, Harry had had to take the package with him everywhere, and many used the time they should have spent focusing on the teacher on speculating what it could be.

Dragon barked once more before turning back into Sirius.

"Come on, 'Mione," the man said, crossing his arms. "Harry deserves that broom, and you know it."

"He had a perfectly good one."

"But it wasn't one I got him."

Hermione threw her hands in the air. "Harry, your godfather is impossible."

"How am I impossible?" Sirius asked, brow quirked. "I exist. I think you mean to say I'm improbable."

"Erg!"

"Padfoot," Harry came over to the man and sat down, "stop messing with 'Mione. I want my godfather in one piece at the end of the year."

Draco smirked. "Yeah, you should see what she can do to you if you make her angry."

"Like rearrange your face?"

"Boys," Hermione said, shaking her head. "Come on. Let's go down to dinner." She grabbed each one by the shoulder and pushed them ahead of her.

"So," a voice asked behind them once they got to the first floor, "is it true? Did the great Harry Potter get a Firebolt?"

Harry turned-against Hermione's wishes-to find Zabini and Finnegan standing there, arms crossed and scowls maring their faces.

"Reckon so," Harry said, mimicking them, "seeing as how I now have it securely hidden in the Gryffindor boys' dorm."

"Got plenty of special features, hasn't it?" Finnegan asked, eyes glittering. "Shame it doesn't come with a parachute-"

"What? In case he gets too close to a dementor?" Draco sneered, standing in front of his friend.

"How did you-?"

"You have to be more original than that, Snake."

Harry moved in front of the blond. "It's a pity they can't attach a hand on your broom." The boy's eyes sparkled evilly. "Maybe you could actually catch the snitch."

Hermione groaned and pulled the two boys away before an all-out brawl could ensue. Draco's mouth fell and his eyes glistened.

"I thought what we had was special."

"Draco," Hermione said, sitting him down before rubbing her face, "get over yourself. I'm sure he'd still say that to you if you had been the one to insult his honor and flying abilities."

"But...but that makes it not special."

Harry rolled his eyes. "What did I do to get a prim peacock as my best friend?"

The next day, the team suited up and arrived at the pitch by eleven.

"Alright team, you know what to do," Wood said, clapping his hands.

"Yes," Harry said, frowning. "Get the snitch at all costs. Get as many points as possible. We lose, we're out of the running." He sent the captain a thumbs-up. "Heard you loud and clear the first hundred times you said it."

Draco snickered. "Come on, Harry. Do your job and leave the complaining to the twins. They're naturals."

Madame Hooch called Wood and Davies forward. They shook hands and the game was on.

The teams were evenly matched. Harry spent most of his time looking for the snitch (though, he did sneak a few glances toward the beautiful blond raven wearing a lion head. Didn't she know she was supposed to be supporting her own team?).

"Oh!" Cho cried out, distracting the boy-who-lived. For a second, he thought she might be using it as a tactic, but that idea flew out the window when he saw four gigantic black-robed figures just to the side of the pitch.

He rolled his eyes. Was he idiotic last time around? How could he ever think those were dementors? He shrugged. Might as well show them all what they didn't know they'd come to see.

" _Expecto Patronum_ ," he hissed, not even watching the multiple bucks run out of his wand. He had a snitch to catch.

By the time the patroni had dissipated, Harry had the snitch in hand.

"And Gryffindor wins!" Jordan called out, the whole team swarming the poor third-year.

"You idiots!" a voice yelled out, causing all in the vicinity to swivel toward the Slytherin section. Professor Snape descended on four boys, all incredibly winded and pale. "Do you know what might have happened if Potter hadn't taken to casting a patronus?"

"He'd fall and break something?" Goyle asked, smiling expectantly.

Professor Snape took a deep breath. "Detention, all of you." He rubbed his face. "And ten points each from Slytherin."

A gasp rippled through the crowd. Students began whispering amongst each other.

"Did you hear that?" one Ravenclaw girl asked.

"Snape took points from his own house," a Hufflepuff said to his Gryffindor friend.

"I hate to do it," Professor Snape said to his students, "but I can't condone attempted murder." He glared at Harry. "Even if we are talking about the celebrity boy-who-lived."

Harry grimaced, but let it be. The professor had a part to play. The fact he'd taken points from his own house had to be counterbalanced by his insistence it was for his role as spy. The boy shrugged. He had other things to worry about than Professor Snape's faux ill-will.

Apparently, so did Hermione.

"Harry, we have a ton of revision to do. We can't just laze around doing what we like," the girl said the next day, scolding an idle Harry. She had insisted on their studying, but he had plopped down on his bed and started petting Dragon instead.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Hermione Granger, we are at the top of all our classes, not to mention you and I already aced all our classes last time." He rubbed his face. "With all the studying Harry has already done so far, he should do fine on our exams. Calm down and go pet your monster."

Hermione glared, crossing her arms.

"He is _not_ a monster." She turned to her cat, voice softening. "Isn't that right Crookshanks?"

"Mental, that," the blond said, shaking his head.

"I wasn't only talking about school, you know," the girl said, picking up her cat and petting it. "We really need to get a _certain_ _someone_ on the same page for the upcoming Shrieking Shack adventure," she motioned her head toward the blond pup, "so that nothing goes wrong."

Harry, Draco, and Dragon sighed.

"Let's get going then." Harry held up his wrist. "Harry to Luna. Come in Luna."

"Why do we need Luna?" Draco asked, brow furrowed.

Hermione groaned. "Harry, we do not need to bring Luna into this." She rubbed her eyes. "I know you have a crush on her, but she doesn't need to be involved with the Shrieking Shack. It's dangerous and she'll just get in the way."

"I'm not saying we drag her along with us that night," Harry said, pacing back and forth in front of the come-and-go room. "However, she's not a Ravenclaw for no reason. She's a master strategist."

"If not a little barmy," Draco said under his breath.

Harry shrugged. "What's wrong with her helping plan?"

Hermione huffed. "Fine. Invite her." She crossed her arms. "She's not coming that night, though."

"Who's not coming where?" Luna asked, walking around the corner smiling. As she came over to the trio, she squatted down and greeted Dragon. "Hello."

"Hermione says you don't need to come with us to the Shrieking Shack," Draco said, opening the now-visible door.

"We're coordinating our attack so Pettigrew doesn't escape this time," Harry said, motioning toward the room. "Wanna come in and join us?"

"But not for the actual night," Hermione interjected. "That is the hill I'll die on."

Harry rolled his eyes.

Luna smiled. "Of course, Harry." She shrugged. "I'm not doing anything now and my dorm mates have decided to ignore me again." Her brow furrowed. "So, why not?"

Hermione sighed, face falling. "I'm sorry your dorm mates are ignoring you again." She placed an arm around the Ravenclaw's shoulders. "Don't worry about them. We think you're cool."

They entered and sat down on the plush sectional. Dragon barked and turned into Sirius.

"So, what happens that night that we need to plan?" Draco asked, rubbing his hands together.

"Well, first we went down to Hagrid's hut to support him and Buckbeak." Hermione smiled coyly. "You, of course know what happens right before that, don't you?"

The blond grimaced, rubbing his nose. "Yeah, you've got one heck of a right hook there, Granger."

Sirius doubled over laughing. "You got punched by a _girl?"_ He snorted. "You got punched by Hermione, of all people?" His eyes widened and he turned to her. "No offence, of course."

Hermione smiled. "None taken." Her brow furrowed. "Anyway, we had tea at Hagrid's, and then Scabbers turned up. Hagrid caught him just in time for us to see the headmaster coming down the hill with Fudge. We hurried out when the minister got there, but Scabbers bit Ron's hand and escaped. We chased after him until you got there, Sirius." The man nodded in comprehension. "Ron caught the rat but then you grabbed Ron's leg with your teeth and drug him to the Shrieking Shack. Harry and I, after fighting the Whomping Willow, followed you down."

The girl nodded to her friend, who smiled and continued from there.

"When we got there, you started talking about killing something." Harry smiled sheepishly. "We all thought you meant me, but Remus showed up. He hugged you and said how they couldn't kill anyone until I understood." He rubbed the back of his head. "At that point, we all thought the two of you had gone barmy and we were going to have to take you down together. Then, Professor Snape showed up. He waved his wand around, yelling about how he'd wanted to do this for a long time. I disarmed him but it turned out 'Mione and Ron had the same idea. With the three of us, the spell hit him hard; he was thrown back and knocked out."

"You convinced us you were innocent, Sirius," Hermione said, taking over for her friend. "You turned Scabbers back into Pettigrew, and we all realized what happened. We agreed to go back with you and straighten everything out." She smirked. "We convinced you to bring back Professor Snape. I can't remember in the end who levitated him."

"He got a few nasty bumps and scrapes along the way," Harry said with a smile. "You invited me to live with you once we got out of the tunnel. I was so excited." His smile fell. "But then Moony came out. He'd forgotten to take his wolfsbane and he transformed into a werewolf."

"Peter escaped while we focused on the ensuing chaos," Hermione explained, squirming. "Professor Snape jumped in front of Remus to protect us while you transformed into Padfoot. Harry ran after you just in time for the both of you to be attacked by dementors." She scrunched her nose. "And then Dumbledore made Harry and I relive the night again to save everyone."

Draco and Sirius sat back in their seats stunned.

Harry's brow wrinkled. "My favorite part is that the only one we truly saved was Buckbeak."

Hermione shrugged. "You live. You learn."

"We are not reliving that night again just to save a hippogriff," Harry said, arms crossed. "That is the hill I will die on."

"But Harry…."

"Anyway," the boy-who-lived shook his head, "that sums it up."

Silence filled the air. Draco and Sirius both stared off into the distance. Hermione twiddled her thumbs. Luna started trying to braid Harry's hair.

"Wait a minute," Draco said, brow knitting together. "How did you relive the night again?" He tilted his head, eyes widening in horror. "You have a time turner!" He jumped out of his seat, beginning to pace. "That explains why you can take all those classes and relive a night over again. Merlin! Am I that stupid now that I'm a Gryffindor?"

"Hey!" All the Gryffindors yelled at once.

"That's beside the point," Hermione said, waving the blond off. "We're here to make a plan that ends in Sirius's freedom, not his eventual demise."

"How do you propose we do that?" Luna asked, leaning forward in her seat.

"First," Hermione scooted further into the couch, "we need to decide who will cast ' _Expelliarmus'_ at Professor Snape."

"Why?" Sirius asked, crossing his arms. "Just let the man get what's coming to him."

Hermione scowled, opening her mouth to respond.

"I should probably knock out Sev," Draco said, interrupting the two before a fight could break out. "He can't hate me. I'm his godson."

Harry's mouth dropped. "Not fair. I wanna knock out Professor Snape."

"No, I should knock him out." The blond smiled. "Besides, I called dibs."

"I did it last time. This is my adventure. I think I deserve to knock Snape out."

"No, I do."

"No, I do."

"No, me."

"No, me."

"The point is _not_ to knock Professor Snape out," Hermione said, jumping in-between the two boys.

The blond's eyes dropped. He sighed.

"Yeah, that would make for an awkward family reunion." The ex-Slytherin straightened, folding his hands much like his father would. "'Draco, do tell us about the time you knocked out your godfather again.'" He scrunched his nose. "Yeah, that's not happening."

"That settles it," Harry said, pointing to himself. "I'll knock out Professor Snape."

"Again-Harry-the point is to _not_ knock out our potions professor," Hermione said, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation.

"But 'Mione…"

"Harry, Professor Snape will be the only adult that night that isn't going to turn into a werewolf."

Harry glared. "Sirius is an adult!" Draco, Hermione and even Luna cocked a brow at him. His lips twitched before he broke out in peals of laughter. "Yeah, I can't even keep a straight face with that one."

"I am an adult," Sirius said, scowling.

"Would an adult shirk his responsibilities to his godson to go after a rat?" Hermione asked, arms crossed.

"Well, that was…"

"Would an adult charm a ball of yarn to follow Professor McGonagall around?" Harry asked, brow furrowed.

"You gotta admit, that was funny."

"And would an adult charm all the cauldrons in the potions room to sing 'What is Love' every time someone put them over the fire?" Draco asked, grimacing. "That was the most annoying potions class ever."

"Hey," Sirius glared, "I think it was a very adult choice. I could have charmed them to sing 'Baby Got Back' or 'Bohemian Rhapsody'."

Hermione sighed. "This is what I get for trying to culture two pureblood wizards in the ways of the muggle world."

"Doesn't matter," Draco said, scowling. "You promised not to prank my godfather."

"It wasn't a prank on him." The animagus scrunched his nose. "I believe that was payback on the third year Slytherins for teasing Harry after that nasty fall from his broom during the quidditch match."

"This is all very much beside the point," Luna said, finishing the french braid in Harry's hair with a flourish. She turned to the man. "What Hermione was trying to say is that Professor Snape is the only adult there that night who can attest to your innocence." She smiled, patting the animagus on the shoulder. "You can't testify on your own behalf without a high likelihood of being kissed on sight, and werewolves cannot testify based off the lingering myth that they are inherently untrustworthy."

Sirius sighed. "Fine. You're not wrong." He turned to Hermione. "What do you need me to do?"

"Well," Harry said, head tilted, "we need to get everyone to the Shrieking Shack. I doubt Draco is going to let you pull him by the leg, so…."

"We will need you to chase Pettigrew into the Shrieking Shack," Hermione said resolutely. She paused, nose scrunching. " _Without_ killing him."

"You and Moony," Sirius threw his hands in the air, "always taking the fun out of things."

Harry shook his head and rolled his eyes. He glanced down at his watch.

"Whoa! It's almost curfew."

"Time flies when you're plotting demise," Luna said, smiling.

Sirius grimaced. "Should we be concerned with the fact that rhythms?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "We should be more concerned with the fact that Harry's worried about getting caught after curfew." She pointedly stared at the boy. "Like that's ever stopped him before."

"Okay, okay," Draco said, helping Hermione to her feet while Harry did the same for Luna. "No need to get our wands in a twist. We should head back to the dorms and get a good night sleep. We have less than a week until we need to catch a traitorous rat, and I don't want to be sleep-deprived if we must face a deranged werewolf, too."

They left the come-and-go room, Harry grabbing Luna's hand.

"My lady, do you need an escort back to your tower?"

"Sure, Harry," the Ravenclaw said, smiling.

"We can come with," Hermione said, heading toward the pair..

"No 'Mione," Draco grabbed her arm, "let the love birds finish off their date in piece."

The Gryffindor girl huffed. "Fine, we'll take Dragon with us."

"Here," Harry said, handing them his invisibility cloak. "If I have the advantage of the marauder's map, it's only fair you get the cloak."

"See you in the common room, Harry," Hermione said, taking the cloak before grabbing her Dragons by their collars and walking back to Gryffindor Tower.

"Mister Potter, taking a stroll in the moonlight, are we?" a smooth silky voice came from behind him. Harry grimaced. He'd just seen Luna back to her dorm. _Why was this necessary?_ He turned around and shoved a disbanded Marauders Map back in his pocket.

"No, I… sleep walk."

"Oh really?" Professor Snape quirked a brow. " _Accio parchment_." He examined the old Parchment and pointed his wand at it. "Show me your secrets."

 _Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business._

Harry leaned over the man's shoulder, stifling a laugh. The man's brow furrowed. He pointed his wand once again.

 _Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony, and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git._

The man glared, turning to the young boy. Prongs' progeny cowered. They both looked back at the blank map.

 _Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a professor._

"I didn't even do anything that time," the man said through gritted teeth. Harry shrugged.

 _Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slime ball._

The dark man stared at his student. "What is the meaning of this, Mr. Potter?"

"Do you want the short version or the long one?"

"Hello Severus, Harry," a voice called out, interrupting Harry's poor attempt at a cover-up. "What is going on?"

"Remus!" Harry cried, relief flooding his face. Maybe the man could come up with a better excuse than he had.

Snape huffed. "It appears-Mr. Moony-that someone has come across a dark artifact." He showed the man the blank parchment, which currently told the potions professor that he looked better upside-down.

Remus's eyes widened, his mouth dropping slightly.

"And what would you like me to do with this?" Remus asked, shaking his head.

"Well-as it obviously looks like a dark object, and the dark arts are _your_ area of expertise-I thought you should take a look."

Harry nibbled his lower lip. Was Snape mocking Remus? His brow knitted together. It was only fair, really. The man knew enough to know Remus and his friends were those currently mocking him on an otherwise blank parchment.

"It looks like a silly joke product if you ask me," the DADA professor said, taking the parchment and giving it a quick once-over. "Probably one of Zonko's, yeah?" He glanced over at Harry, brow quirked. "I don't think there is anything _dark_ about it."

"Are you sure?" the potions professor asked, reaching out to take it back.

"But," the werewolf batted the other man's hand away, "as you said, it is _my_ area of expertise. I'll look into it further." He turned to the boy. "Harry can you come with me?"

The boy nodded, turning to Snape. "Goodnight, Professor."

When Remus and Harry stopped walking, they were in front of the DADA professor's living quarters. The man opened the door, motioning for his protege to go in front of him. He sat the Marauders Map on a table and took a deep breath.

"I don't know how you got a hold of this Harry," the man started, shaking his head, "because I know for a fact Filch confiscated it years ago. I'm not even going to ask." He glanced up at the boy, eyes sparkling. "What in the world did you think you were doing? Do you know what could have happened if this got in the hands of Sirius Black?" The werewolf waved the parchment in the air. "It would be a map leading right to you. The makers of this would have found it extremely entertaining to lead you out of this school."

Green eyes glared at the man. "You mean, my dad?"

"How did you…?"

"I'm not an idiot. _Prongslet_? Sounds a lot like Prongs to me."

Remus sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Yes, he would have found it quite amusing. Now…"

"And you?" Harry's breath quickened. "I never told you it was a map, so that suggests you knew about it."

"Yes," the man averted his eyes, "I would have enjoyed as well, when I was younger." He clenched his jaw. "But that does not matter. You should not have put yourself in danger by carrying this around with you. Especially not at night."

"How was I supposed to know that Sirius Black would be able to get in the map?" Harry asked, voice rising. "It's not like I knew the two of you were bosom buddies."

"Well, you got into it somehow..."

"Because I was told what the incantation was. It probably took the twins months to figure it out, and then the map probably told them after it found out they were prankster." His eyes flared. "Which one was he? Moony? Padfoot? Wormtail? Where the heck did you pull those names from, anyway?" He crossed his arms. "And what right do you have to take that away from me?"

"Excuse me, young man?" Remus straightened, his eyes blazing themselves. "What right do I have? I am your professor…"

"I know for a fact my dad would want me to have it. It's my birthright."

"Birthright?" the man scoffed. "Do you forget? I am one of the map's creators. It's more mine than yours."

Harry sneered. "Now you admit it willingly: only when you want to confiscate it from me."

"This is not a matter of owner's rights." Remus rubbed his face. "This is a dangerous thing, Harry. It's my right-not only as your professor, but as your pseudo-godfather-to take it to keep you safe."

Harry shook his head, his face full of disgust. "If you're my pseudo-godfather, where were you all this time?"

The man's face fell. "Harry…"

"No! You don't get to come in here and claim you're protecting me when for the past eleven years I've been protecting myself."

"Har…"

"No! It's my turn to talk and your turn to listen." Harry's voice shook. "I spent eleven years thinking no one cared about me. Thinking that the only people who ever tried to care for me were my two friends. Then, you show up out of nowhere and take claim of your right as my 'pseudo-godfather'." The boy pointed a finger at the man. "You don't get to pick-and-choose when you're my authority figure. Either you are or you are not."

"What do you want me to say, Harry?" The man threw his arms in the air. "You know why I wasn't around. I told you: Dumbledore told me…"

"And you listened to Dumbledore." Harry glared. "That's your problem. You trusted Dumbledore." He shook his head. "You know what, I don't care. Take the map. But don't act like you are any more righteous by doing so."

With that, the boy turned and stomped off, slamming the door behind him. He headed toward the tower, only pausing right before he came to the Fat Lady.

"I know you're there," he said, not looking back.

The sound of satin rubbing against cloth filled the air as a cloak slid off the two Gryffindors and animagus. The dog came up and licked the boy's hands.

Draco stared at him, brow quirked. "I think I'm rubbing off on you too much. Really? Your _birthright_?"

Harry smirked. "How long were you two there for?"

"Dragon got concerned and sniffed his way to you." Hermione shrugged. "We decided to follow. I think we were there for the whole thing." She placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Where did that come from?"

The ex-Slytherin scrunched his nose. "That wasn't very like you."

"I… don't have a clue." Harry sighed. "I guess I didn't like his taking the map. Last time he really was in the wrong." He crossed his arms. "I mean he knew exactly how Sirius was getting in and he didn't tell anyone, and then he has the audacity to put me at fault?"

"Oh, Harry," Hermione said, rubbing his back.

"I guess it all came pouring out." The boy-who-lived shrugged. "I thought I had my anger under control this time, but I don't."

"That much is obvious," his blond friend said, punching his shoulder lightly.

"Come on," Harry said, motioning toward the portrait hole. "We shouldn't be standing around. We need to get back to Gryffindor."

Hermione nodded, patting his shoulder before opening the door and letting Dragon through, following after. Harry sighed, heading toward the hole himself.

"Harry, wait!" Draco called out.

The boy turned, brow quirked. "Yes, Dragon?"

"You forgot your cloak." The blond handed it to his friend. "After you losing the map, I didn't want you to forget your only remaining birthright."

Harry glared at the ex-Slytherin as the blond snickered, running to avoid a slap upside the head. The boy-who-lived shook his head. Whatever did he do to deserve friends like this?

(pages 258, 287-289, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)


	36. Chapter 36

The Shrieking Shack

Ron huffed, throwing himself in the seat across from Harry.

"I can't believe Zabini got his mum to kill ol' Buckbeak," Ron whined, eyes forlornly staring at the sandwich he was making.

"It's not right," Ginny said, sitting down next to her brother. She pouted. "Don't you agree, Harry?"

Harry shrugged. "I mean, he did attack somebody." He glanced up, seeing the two redheads staring at him, mouths dropped. "But of course, it's totally unfair of Zabini to go to the ministry over a scratch."

"It was more than a scratch," Draco said with a snort.

"What, Malfoy? You the one defending the Snake?" Ron said with a sneer.

"Like I need the money," Draco said, arms crossed. "Though, come to think of it-Weasley-you could use a few extra galleons after that trip this summer. Were you their prosecutor?"

Ron scrunched his nose. "What of it, Malfoy?"

"I just heard you took a trip." Malfoy quirked a brow. "Did you have to lease your burrow to a band of hobbits?"

Hermione snorted, choking on her pumpkin juice.

Ginny grimaced. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"For your information, Malfoy." Ron glared. "Dad won a lotto at work."

"Did your mum die of shock?" the blond asked, smirking.

Harry knit his brow together. "Draco, you saw their mum at the train station." He crossed his arms. "Unless there's a wizard around here practicing necromancy, I highly doubt she 'died of shock'."

"Well, actually, there is a wizard…" Hermione started. Draco cut her off.

"Oh, Harry. You're no fun."

"Ferret face, you're just mean," Harry said.

"But you promised…"

"You promised what, Harry?" Ron asked, frowning.

"Why don't we go and help Hagrid make it through this tough time?" Ginny suggested, pointedly looking at the boy-who-lived.

"I don't know if that's a good idea…" Hermione started, but before she could say anything else, Draco pulled her out of her seat and over toward the entry hall.

"Oh, yes it is." The blond smiled, grey eyes sparkling. "I want to see you rearrange someone else's face."

"Draconus Lucius Malfoy," Hermione said, wrenching her hand out of his grip. "I am not going to punch anybody."

The next thing the trio knew, they were sitting in Hagrid's hut. Hermione was nursing her hand with a bag of ice. Draco sat back, smirking.

"Not a word," the brunette muttered, the ice shifting in her bag.

"I didn't say anything," the blond said, smiling wide.

"You were thinking too loudly."

Draco shook his head. "Was I really _that_ important?"

"For the fifteenth time, yes," Harry said, rubbing his eyes.

Hagrid walked over to make some tea. "Now, 'Mione, don' let that Finnegan boy get te' yah." He grabbed a cup. "He just don' know when te' keep his...Hey!"

The trio jumped.

"What is it, Hagrid?" Draco asked, rushing over to take a peek.

"Oi, Harry," the man turned to the boy-who-lived, "ain't this Ron's missin' rat, Scabbers?" He held up a squirming rodent.

Draco jumped, eyes widening. "There he is!" He grabbed for the rat. Hagrid pulled the pet away, holding him in the air.

"Whoa there, Malfoy. Gotta be careful with 'em there rats." He held the rodent close to his beard. "They're delicate creatures."

The blond rolled his eyes, ignoring the growling Dragon.

"You know, you're right. Sorry, Hagrid. Ron's been…" he scrunched his nose, tilting his head to the side, "very worried about him. Yeah, that's it. He's kept us up at all hours of the night crying over him." Draco grabbed for Scabbers once more. "I should take it back to him so I can get some beauty sleep."

Harry continued. "Yeah, we should...uh...go give it to Ron." Dragon growled again, causing Hermione to grab onto the scruff of his neck. The animagus lunged. Pettigrew squeaked and bit Hagrid's hand.

"Oi!" Hagrid let go of the rat in favor of massaging his thumb. "Hard grip, 'at 'un."

Dragon lunged again, escaping Hermione's grasp. Now free, the dog dashed out of the hut.

"Padfoot," Harry called out, rushing after him.

"Harry!" Hermione ran after him.

Draco turned to the giant. "Hagrid, I'm so sorry to be rude, but we really need to go." With that, the blond followed his friends to the Shrieking Shack.

Dragon disappeared underneath the tree. Harry grabbed the closest stick and froze the Whomping Willow. All three filed in underneath the hole in the tree and made their way to the Shrieking Shack.

When they got there, they saw Sirius holding Pettigrew at wand point.

"You traitor! Lily and James trusted you. You betrayed them!"

"Sirius, you don't understand." The rat shook in terror. "The dark lord, he Imperiused me."

"Dragon…" Draco called out. When that didn't get the animagus's attention, he tried something different. "Sirius!"

But the grim didn't hear him. Instead, he growled, pushing his wand into Pettigrew's throat.

"You should have died for them." Sirius scowled. "James and Lily would have done the same for you."

Hermione stepped forward. "Sirius Orion Black, put your wand down!"

The man glanced at Hermione.

"He betrayed them. They're dead because of him." Sirius looked over at his godson. "Your parents, Harry."

The boy stepped up to where Hermione and Draco stood. "Padfoot, they're right." He shook his head. "Killing him will not bring them back. It also won't help you." He walked over and placed a hand on his godfather's shoulder. "We need Pettigrew alive."

Sirius tilted his head. His wand arm slackened, almost relaxing, when Remus came storming into the shack.

"Sirius, put the wand down." The werewolf raised his own wand, preparing for a fight.

"Moony, it wasn't me, I swear," Sirius pleaded, turning to face his friend.

Remus's eyes widened. Where the hell did Sirius's hair come from? He shook his head to regain focus.

"Why the heck is your hair blond?" the DADA professor asked. Sirius smiled cheekily and changed into the blond grim. Remus's jaw dropped. "Wait, you were Dragon?" The werewolf's eyes narrowed. "You've been here all this time and you haven't tried to kill Harry?"

Draco quirked a brow. "You act like that's surprising. How many godfathers do you know actively trying to harm their godsons?"

Remus looked over at Pettigrew, tilting his head. His gaze bounced back to Dragon. "You were innocent. You never betrayed James and Lily, did you?" His wand slackened for a moment, before it tensed and turned to Pettigrew. "What happened that night, Padfoot? Weren't you their Secret Keeper?" His eyes narrowed at Pettigrew. "You weren't, were you?"

Sirius shook his head. "Nope. Changed it last minute."

The lycanthrope glared. "You idiots!"

"You're the idiot, Lupin," a voice said, causing everyone to jump. Professor Snape waltzed into the room, scanning it before his eyes widened. He shoved the flask he was holding into Remus' hands. "Drink, now."

The werewolf smiled and took the flask, drinking it down in one gulp.

"Expelliarmus," Harry yelled at Professor Snape. The man's wand flew out of his hand into the air.

"What? Why did you disarm me?" the potions professor snapped.

"So you don't kill Sirius."

"Although I'd love to, I'm not here to kill Black." The potions master crossed his arms. "I'm here for answers...and to make sure Lupin doesn't kill you all." He rubbed his eyes. "On the way to give him his potion, I overheard his little spiel about someone being alive, and how that was impossible."

"It's Pettigrew, Uncle Sev," Draco said, stepping up to his godfather. "He never really died that night when Sirius found him."

"When Lupin ran out of his office, I followed him." Professor Snape glared at the man. "Someone needed to make sure he took his potion. I heard his little rant just now about Black being Dragon." His brow furrowed. "That explains so much."

"So, you don't think I'm guilty?" Sirius asked, hopefully.

The potions professor rolled his eyes.

"Oh, you're guilty of many things: being a bully, being an ass, attempted murder…" Professor Snape crossed his arms. "But turning in Lily and James Potter? No, I do not think even you would stoop that low." He glared over at Pettigrew.

"No, it was Pettigrew. He set me up!" Sirius turned to face his now captive audience. "You see, he's a rat…literally. We became animagi our fifth year. Pettigrew can turn into a rat. He yelled out to gain everyone's attention, then the street blew up. He cut off his finger, and turned into a rat. He was the spy for Voldemort."

Professor Snape's eyes narrowed. "So that's why the Dark Lord was always muttering to his lap at meetings."

Draco snorted. His godfather turned to him, head tilted in confusion.

"Nothing. Just imagining the Dark Lord talking into his lap."

The potions professor shook his head, but remained silent.

"I don't understand how he could have come up with that." Severus, Sirius, and Peter stared at the lycanthrope. "Pettigrew, not You-Know-Who."

Sirius shrugged. "He never was very smart."

"The dark lord must have come up with the plan and had the rat carry it out," the potions master said. He turned to Black. "How in the world did you, Potter, and Pettigrew become animagi?"

"A conversation for another time, Snape," Sirius said with a sigh.

The dark man sneered. "That suggests there will be another time."

Remus just held his head in his hands. "I remember now why I hated our Slytherin-Gryffindor classes."

"Would you really hand me over to the dementors? Knowing I'm innocent of this crime?" Sirius asked, eyes widening in horror.

"Would you have paused for a second before doing it to me?" the potions master asked, eyes narrowing. He shook his head and crossed his arms. "I would not turn you in for this crime, but there still is the fact you _are_ guilty of attempted murder."

"Can we just move on?" Remus asked, rubbing his temples. "Sirius has yet to explain what happened. They claimed he made a confession on scene."

"I convinced James and Lily to switch secret keepers," Sirius explained, his voice tight. "I thought it was the perfect bluff."

Hermione and Harry sighed, dropping down onto the bed. This was going to take a while. Draco sat down next to them, enthralled. Why hadn't Black been in Slytherin?

"So, you see," Sirius said, summing up the events that led to his incarceration, "it was a goose chase, with me as the red herring."

Remus slapped him over the ear. "Idiots! Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell Dumbledore?"

"We did tell Dumbledore." The animagus scowled. "Who do you think cast the charm?" Everyone in the room gasped. Hermione and Harry sat up straighter. "I was the witness. Pettigrew nor the Potters could've been. They were the Secret Keeper and the Secret. Therefore, Dumbledore had to cast the spell."

"Why didn't you ask me?" Remus asked.

Sirius averted his eyes, letting them watch his shuffling feet.

"Voldemort was promising perks to werewolves." The animagus stared back at the wolf. "You have to admit, you were away so often and you couldn't tell us where you were." He glanced back down at his scuffed shoes. "We thought-well, I thought-that you could have been the spy."

Snape scoffed. "Lupin? A spy?" He rolled his eyes. "He can barely his own secrets, let alone someone else's."

Remus and Sirius glared at him.

"Not everyone here knows my secrets," Remus said, eyes bouncing over to the three students in the corner.

Harry raised his hand slowly.

"Actually…"

The lycanthrope's jaw dropped. "How?"

The boy shrugged. "Hermione found out when Professor Snape gave us that paper to write. Then, she asked Sirius and he told us."

Sirius's brow furrowed. He glanced over and caught his godson's eye. He nodded in comprehension.

"Yeah, I-I," the animagus shrugged, "I thought they had the right to know-Harry being Prongs' son and all."

"But Draco and Hermione?" Remus asked, arms crossing.

"Hermione would've told Draco anyway."

The two professors nodded in agreement. Hermione's mouth dropped and she crossed her arms. She looked over at her friends for support. Draco and Harry stared at her.

She huffed. "Fine."

"We should get out of here," Sirius said, checking his watch. "It's almost past curfew and we need to get these kiddies off to bed."

Remus gaped. "Did...did I hear correctly?"

"If you had not asked, Lupin, I would have sworn I was hallucinating." Professor Snape shook his head slowly.

"Sirius Orion Black is asking us to help him follow the rules."

The animagus shrugged his shoulders. "I'm a godfather now. I should try to be a bit more responsible."

The potions professor sighed, spelling Pettigrew back into a rat before handing him over to Remus. The others followed him out toward the passage way.

Halfway toward the entrance, Remus stopped. "Oh, wait!"

"Really, Lupin?" The Slytherin professor smacked his head. "Twenty-eight years of transforming into a beast and you still forget?"

The lycanthrope glared, before turning and running back into the Shrieking Shack. Harry stopped, head tilted.

"Wait!" He cried out, eyes widening. "He has Pettigrew!"

The whole group stopped and turned around. Professor Snape and Sirius both began running toward the shack. Howling and shrieking echoed through the hall. Sirius changed into Dragon and darted toward the werewolf.

Harry started to run after him, but a hand on his shoulder kept him there.

"We must get back to Hogwarts, Mr. Potter," the potions master said, squeezing the boy's shoulder gently. "Your godfather will be fine."

The boy nodded and followed his two friends out of the passageway and out into the cool night air. Sirius came out behind them, panting.

"He's gone," the animagi said, kicking the nearest root. "When I got there, Remus had transformed. He looked so much better than the last time I had seen him." He begrudgingly looked at Professor Snape. "Thank you."

"Just doing what the headmaster forces me to," the man said, shrugging.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Take the praise for once in your life. I don't give it often." The professor huffed. Harry's godfather shook his head. "I searched. That rat was nowhere. I couldn't even catch his scent."

Harry sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Well, quick, transform. The dementors can't know you're here if he's not caught."

Sirius grudgingly turned back into Dragon. They all began walking up to the castle.

Hermione let out a moan. Draco's brow furrowed, eyes narrowing in confusion. The girl pointed at the entrance. Ministry official stood guard at the front of the castle. Snape winced and turned to the quartet.

"I may have sent a patronus to the headmaster asking for ministry personnel." The Gryffindors glared at him. He threw his hands in the air. "Well, excuse me for being concerned that a werewolf was on the loose."

"You did what?" Harry, Draco, and Hermione yelled in unison.

"Like I said, there was a werewolf on the loose without wolfsbane. He could have killed you all." He crossed his arms and huffed. "I was doing my job."

Draco sighed. "Seriously?"

Dragon barked happily.

"This is not the time, Bla…Dragon," the professor snapped.

"You have to explain this to them," Harry pleaded.

Professor Snape nodded his head. "I will do my best to defend your godfather's innocence." Dragon barked again. "Shut up, Black."

They finished their trek to the headmaster's office. The professor stayed his hand and motioned for Harry and Dragon to come with him.

They found the minister and the headmaster, talking. The headmaster rose when he saw his potions master, student, and dog.

"Severus," Dumbledore sighed in relief, "you found them."

"Yes," the potions master nodded, "all is well. There is no need to fret. Lupin took his wolfsbane and is currently sleeping in the Shrieking Shack. However," the man crossed his arms, "there is something that you should know."

"What could we possibly need to know other than that Harry Potter-the Savior of the Wizarding World-is safe?" Fudge asked, walking over and slapping the poor boy on the back.

The professor looked over at Harry right as Harry winced. Had the minister's pat been that hard? It wasn't like the man worked out. He wasn't that strong. Was it possibly the minister's blathering on about Harry's status in the wizarding world? Shouldn't the boy be beaming with pride? He shook his head. Not the time, Severus.

"Sirius Black is innocent," Harry said forcefully. "Pettigrew set him up."

The Minister of Magic let his mouth drop. Silence filled the air for a few moments before he burst into peals of laughter. Dumbledore narrowed his eyes and scoffed.

Professor Snape sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. _Yes, a thirteen-year-old child and a death eater, who would they believe more_?

"Good one, my boy," the minister said, once again patting the boy on the back.

"But it's true, Minister," the potions master said.

"What?"

"You must be joking." Dumbledore stared at his spy, brow quirking. "Severus, are you defending Sirius Black?"

Professor Snape laid a hand on Harry's shoulder to stay any further Gryffindor tendencies.

"It's the truth, Headmaster," the potions master said. "And I will not let an innocent man be kissed, no matter how much I despise him." He crossed his arms. "Pettigrew is alive and was disguised as a pet rat for the past twelve years."

"Nonsense." The minister shook his head. "We found Pettigrew's wand exploded and only a finger left of him."

"He set up his own death and turned into a rat." Professor Snape continued, glaring at Fudge. It was insulting-really-how little they trusted him. However, this was the type of tale a death eater would tell: mass murderer Sirius Black is innocent and not a death eater.

"Peter Pettigrew, a rat? Are you saying he's an animagus?" Dumbledore asked. Snape inclined his head.

"This is preposterous." Fudge stomped his foot. "All the animagi are registered. We do not have Pettigrew in the registry. Hence, Pettigrew was not an animagus."

"Do you really think everyone registers themselves?" the professor asked, scoffing. "Do you know how many wizards and witches out there are running about unregistered? You wouldn't even be able to count."

Dragon whined. Professor Snape glared again.

Harry scrunched his nose. Dragon was getting antsy. "Maybe I should let him outside."

"That would be best," the potions master said with a nod.

The boy dragged Dragon out of the headmaster's office and closed the door on him.

"Sorry about that, sirs. He gets very claustrophobic sometimes." Professor Snape glared at Harry. The boy shrugged.

Fudge shook his head. "I'll hear no more about this." He pointed at Severus. "I don't know why Dumbledore trusts you." He raised his voice. "Headmaster, since there is no more trouble about, I will be leaving."

"But wait…" Harry yelled. Professor Snape grabbed Harry's shoulder and squeezed firmly. The boy shut up.

Fudge marched out of the headmaster's office, not looking back once. A sudden shriek pulled everyone out into the hall. Dragon currently had a strong hold on the minister's pant leg.

"Dragon, no," the boy said apathetically. The head of Slytherin let go of Harry to allow him to get his dog under control. He grabbed Dragon by the collar and pulled him back. "Sorry, Minister. He gets a little aggravated sometimes."

"It's alright, Harry." The Minister glared at both boy and dog. "All it takes is a little training and that issue can be resolved." He turned back to the group. "Good day."

"You idiot!" Professor Snape said once they were out of earshot. Hermione and Draco ran over, panting, to see what the commotion was about.

"What's wrong, Uncle Sev?" Draco asked, bending over his knees.

"Why didn't you let me handle it?" the professor asked, ignoring his godson. "If you had just let me deal with things, we would have been able to get your beloved dog-father out of trouble. Now, they will never believe us when we claim he is innocent."

Harry nodded silently. "You're right, Professor Snape."

"And another thing, I…" The man stopped, mouth ajar. "Did...Did you just say I was right?"

"I should have let you do the talking like you asked me to."

The professor's mouth bobbed for a few moments, before he pulled himself up to his full height.

"I appreciate your admission, Mr. Potter. That is the true sign of a responsible adult."

Harry smiled. "Thanks, sir."

Draco bid goodnight to the professor, and they all headed up to the Gryffindor common room.

"Do you really think they'd have believed Uncle Sev if you hadn't said anything?" Draco asked as the two boys walked up to their dorm.

The other boy shrugged. "I don't know, but at least I'm on good terms with the professor now."

The blond nodded. "Makes sense." He yawned. "Welp, better get some beauty sleep."

Harry smirked, watching his friend disappear under the covers. He loved this new life.


	37. Chapter 37

Catching Up

Remus awoke to two soulful, grey eyes staring at him. He jumped and made to sit up. He blinked several times, letting himself acclimate to the room.

He was covered with a blanket and wearing fuzzy slippers. A pillow was placed underneath his head. Sirius stuffed a pair of the wolf's robes in his face.

"Your tea will be ready momentarily. Take these and put them on," the animagus stood up, dusting himself off. "We'll have a lovely chat when you're decent." He left the room and shut the door.

Remus stared at the closed door, blinking rapidly. He shook his head and began putting on his clothes.

When he finished, he walked out to where Sirius waited for him. He sat down and found a steaming cup of Earl Grey and some scones in front of him. He rolled his eyes. Since when was Sirius motherly? Last time, Peter made the tea and scones. Remus blushed. Hadn't they teased Peter mercilessly for his "girly interests"? Was that the reason he turned? Could they have stopped him if only they had taken the time to evaluate how they treated one another?

Remus shook his head. Those thoughts would get them nowhere. He sipped his tea and sat back.

"So, Azkaban."

Sirius nodded. "Professor Lupin."

Remus laughed. "Touche." Boy, had their lives turned out differently than they had imagined. "How did I not notice you were Harry's dog this whole time?"

"To be fair, I did have blond hair and brown eyes. Not very similar to my original look." Sirius's smiled faded. "Remus, Pettigrew escaped last night. I'm not free." He pursed his lips and clenched his fists. "He's out in the wind, probably running to his master at this moment."

"So, where will you go?" Remus asked. "How will you hide from the dementors or the ministry?"

"I don't know." Sirius shrugged. "I might go 'home' to Grimmauld Place, clean it up a little bit." He sighed. "I thought about going down to the tropics for a vacation, but that just doesn't seem fair to Harry. He just got me back. I won't leave him again."

Remus nodded; however, he would probably never catch the double meaning of his friend's promise. He would never know of Sirius' death at the hands of Bellatrix, nor how Harry tortured himself over it. Sirius could not quite understand why Harry felt so responsible, but it did seem pretty bad, from the way Harry talked about losing him. Sirius shook his head. He had to come back to the present.

"I'm glad," the lycanthrope said, smiling. "You know, if I could, I'd take him in a heartbeat. I tried to gain custody way back in the beginning, but as a werewolf, there was no way for me to do anything. They turned me down."

"I wish I could take him, too," Sirius said, rubbing his eyes. "Maybe I'll go with him back home." He smirked. "It might be fun to play the pet dog over the summer."

"Oh, I'd pay money to see that, Padfoot."

"Wherever he's living can't be _that_ bad." The animagus took a sip of tea. "He could easily explain finding a stray dog on the side of the road and taking it with him to school."

"I can't wait to see how you would avoid being neutered."

"Besides," Sirius said, blushing. "I'm sure the family he's staying with would be accepting of a pet."

Remus's face fell. "I highly doubt they would."

"Come on," the man punched the werewolf in the shoulder, "I'm a loveable childhood pet. Who could say no to that?" His brow furrowed. "And who could say no to Harry Potter?"

"Lily's sister and her husband would be first in line." The wolf pursed his lips. "Severus Snape would be next in line."

"I'm talking about people who matter," Sirius said, waving his hand dismissively.

"As am I." Remus scrunched his nose . "Well, at least the first part anyway."

"Why? Why would Harry have anything to do with that evil wench and her vile, walrus husband?"

"They matter because they're his guardians?" Remus said, more as a question than a statement. That made them matter, didn't it?

"No, no way. Harry was specifically not supposed to go to Petunia and Vernon."

"Who else was available to care for him?"

"I don't know." Sirius jumped up. "Look in their will again! It should have a list of people James and Lily agreed to have as Harry's guardians. They told me about it when they asked me to be his godfather. They specifically said that Harry was _not_ supposed to go to Petunia or Vernon. He was not to even see them, ever."

"Look in their will again? What do you mean?"

"Well, what did their will say?"

Remus shrugged. "I don't know. Their will was never read."

Silence filled the air. The atmosphere buzzed with electricity. Remus grabbed another scone, completely unaware of any disturbance in the room.

"WHAT!?"

The wolf winced. "There wasn't much time. Harry had to be placed right away." He rubbed his eyes. "There was so much going on. We had to think quickly. Professor Dumbledore sent Harry directly to his aunt and uncle's. Of course, Professor Dumbledore suddenly had to deal with the heavy load of trials and court cases, last minute laws changing, people trying to plead not guilty, and so on. By the time things calmed down, he was settled in. Why uproot him?"

"The will needs to be read." Sirius turned and walked toward the door.

"Sirius," Remus said, jumping to his feet to stop his friend, "while I agree Harry should not be with the Dursleys-really, they do horrible things to him-I can't see us going in and demanding to see the Potter will. The way things ended this year...and Harry needs you. Going out in public would be a bad idea." Sirius smiled wryly, quickly turning into Dragon. The werewolf shook his head. "I know you think that solves everything, but it really doesn't."

Sirius barked and transformed back. "We could go right now. No one would suspect the pet dog of Harry Potter to be the mass murderer supposedly out to get him." He began to pace. "We can get into Gringotts. We'll be safe there. The goblins don't care about ministry laws, nor do they have an opinion on escaped convicts. We'll be really quick, and then we have our ammunition to fight Harry's current placement in court." Remus sighed. He looked at Sirius, back to himself, and then back to Sirius. "Okay, not _right_ now. Like, this afternoon, or tomorrow."

"You won't let this go until we've seen this through, will you?" Remus asked, brow quirked.

"When have I, Moony? When have I ever?"

Not two hours later, Remus and Dragon were strolling down Diagon Alley. The blond dog happily sniffed the ground, barking every so often as they came across a new smell. He stopped at the quidditch supply shop and drooled at the newest broom, much to his friend's consternation.

"Come on, Dragon," the man said with a scowl. "We don't have time for this." Dragon whined. "Don't complain to me. You were the one who insisted on the will reading. I have a letter of resignation to write."

The dog whined again. Remus shook his head and ignored him, choosing instead to continue walking down the road. Dragon rolled his eyes and pranced along.

"Hello," the lycanthrope said as they stopped at a desk. "My name is Remus Lupin, and I'm here to inquire about the wills of James and Lily Potter."

Dragon barked in agreement. The goblin blinked.

"Finally," he said, throwing up his hands. "We were wondering when someone would come in demanding to read that will." The goblin grumbled. "Stupid wizards, meddling in places they don't belong."

"Come again?" Remus asked, brow quirking.

The goblin's eyes bounced between Remus and Dragon "However, I only see two of the three required parties."

"Huh?"

"To read a will, all parties mentioned-plus the executor-must be present."

Remus's eyes narrowed. "Who is the last party? Did they include Peter in the will."

The goblin glanced at his desk. He just happened to be working through unread wills that day-they had to every so often to catalogue them, see if they could contact any of the family to schedule a meeting, etc.-and the Potter's will was one of the few he had finished. He cleared his throat.

"One Severus Snape." Remus' eyes widened. Dragon choked. "I'm afraid he must be here for the will to be read."

Remus tilted his head for a moment. "We'll be right back." The wolf dragged Dragon to the floo.

Severus Snape sighed in relaxation as he picked up his newest novel. Was he upset he had to stay at the castle while Albus and Minerva attended a transfiguration conference? He could be. However, the silence afforded by the castle over the summer more than made up for it. The bottle of Lambrusco sitting in an ice bucket next to him sweetened the deal considerably.

He'd just gotten to a particularly tense part of the plot when his floo flared. He jumped, his book flying out of his hands and landing on the floor with a thud.

"No," said one of his new visitors, the man crossing his arms like a petulant child.

"You wanted the will read," his other visitor said, brow quirked. "To have the will read, he needs to be there. Hence, we need to bring him back with us."

"Hence?"

"Yes, a synonym to therefore…"

"What are you two imbeciles doing in my office?" Severus scowled, his lips twitching as he watched both men jump. "I'd hoped for a marauder free summer."

"And again, I object," Sirius said, glaring at the dark man.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Severus, now is not the time to rehash past grievances…"

"It was not I who insisted on invading your office…" Severus said, rising to grab his book and find his spot.

"Severus, we came because we need you." Remus sighed. "We realized that James and Lily's will was never read…"

Severus rolled his eyes. "And that has what to do with me?"

"Well," Remus continued, "apparently, all parties must be present for the reading."

"And?"

"And the goblins refuse to give us the time of day without you there," Sirius said with a sneer.

"You're saying Potter added _me_ in his will?" Severus asked, eyes widening.

"Apparently," Sirius spit.

"Why?"

"This is the Potters' will. Lily was a Potter. Logically speaking, Lily could have easily added you into her will," Remus said, stepping in-between the two men.

The dark man shook his head. "No, she never would have given me anything. You're obviously tricking me." He rubbed his face. "Now that you two are back in action, I should expect this to occur more often."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "As much as I'd love to say this is a joke, it's not."

The man in question glared. "The answer is still no."

"You're not even curious to see why Lily added you in their will?" Remus asked, quirking his brow.

Sirius scoffed. "I know I am."

Snape looked down at his desk, his eyes narrowing. He shook his head slowly.

"No."

Sirius huffed. He peered at his friend. Remus caught the look in his eyes and nodded. They both descended on the potions master and grabbed him by the arms, dragging him to the floo. Sirius grabbed some floo powder.

"Gringotts."

The next thing they knew, they were in a cushy room with a conference table and soft chairs. Sirius and Remus forced the dour man in their party into a chair and sat down themselves.

"Ah, there we are." Griphook walked into the conference room and sat down, clearing his throat. "We are here to read the wills of Lily Rose Potter and James Fleamont Potter…"

"Wait," Severus said, surveying the room. "Aren't we missing someone?"

The goblin tilted his head. "And who would that be?"

"Albus Dumbledore."

"Why should Albus Dumbledore be here?"

"Well, wasn't he the executor of the will?" Snape asked, eyes widening.

"No." Griphook shuffled some papers. "As I was saying: we're here today to read the will of one Lily Rose Potter nee Evans and one James Fleamont Potter."

The will itself was full of gobbledygook and legalese Sirius definitely couldn't follow. Even Remus and Severus struggled to follow the line of assets, monetary investments, and lists of properties. But when the time came to hear the group of personal messages laid out in each will, everyone's ears perked up.

"To Severus Snape," the goblin cleared his throat, "stop berating yourself for past mistakes. I always knew you were a good man at heart and knowing that you turned back to the light has made me once again remember why we were friends in the first place. I have something very important to tell you, but I cannot do it in this will. James and I have written a letter to you and Sirius, our two best friends…" Remus should have felt left out, but no one denied Sirius and James were like brothers. "You two are to remain in the room alone and read this together." Griphook held up a stuffed envelope. "We ask this of you because what we ask of you must be done in unison."

Silence descended on the room. Sirius and Severus glared at one another. Remus held his head in his hands. This was not going to go well.

"Finally, Harry James Potter is in no way to go to Petunia Dursley nee Evans. That is our last request. We want Harry loved, and we know he will not be if he is to be with her." The goblin finished. He rose and motioned for Remus to leave.

"Wait," the wolf straightened, "I wasn't mentioned. Why am I here?"

"You were the executor." Griphook once again motioned for the man to come with him.

"Oh, I'm not leaving."

"They can't open the letter until they are completely alone."

"Without any supervision? Do you know what happened the last time they were alone together?"

"Calm down, Lupin," Severus said, rubbing his forehead. "I highly doubt this room contains large amounts of dynamite."

"Yeah, Moony," Sirius nodded, "and there's no shaving cream in sight."

"Nor do I have access to my potions supplies."

"So, I highly doubt you have to worry about there being another exploding cream incident."

"Nor should you worry that your precious mutt will end up with third degree potion burns," Severus finished with a nod.

"How did you even figure out how to make napalm?" Remus asked, grimacing.

"I didn't tell Albus. What makes you think I'll confess now?"

The wolf turned back to the goblin. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Oh, come on, Moony," Sirius smirked. "I can handle myself."

"That's what I'm afraid of." He moaned. He narrowed his eyes at his friend. "No pranks?"

"Nope."

"No comments about his appearance."

"I guess."

"And no turning the air into sleeping gas?"

Severus sighed. "We aren't going to kill each other in two minutes, Lupin. I think that Black has enough brain cells to realize that this is the last thing Potter ever said to him. I don't think he'll give up the chance to hear it over some petty feud."

"Fine," Remus ran a hand through his hair, "but I will be waiting outside the door. If I do not hear any noise after thirty minutes, I'm coming in and if I hear too much noise, I'll call the aurors."

Sirius's jaw dropped. "Moony, you wouldn't!"

"Oh, yes I would."

"Leave, Lupin." Severus commanded, ushering the other man out. Remus walked out backwards, struggling to turn and leave. Once the door closed, the two men glared at each other.

"Snape."

"Black."

Sirius tapped his foot. "Give it to me, Snivellus."

Snape glared, snatching the letter and holding it high above his head. "Make me."

"Fine. Then read it."

"You can't order me around."

"Watch me."

"Ugh." Sirius rubbed his eyes. "This is getting us nowhere. Please read the letter."

Severus sneered, but opened the letter.

"Dearest Severus and Sirius, if you are reading this, James and I are dead. I know that both of you must be going through so much, and I hope this letter is superfluous…" Severus stopped, glaring at the animagus. "That means unnecessary, Black."

The other man grimaced. "I know what it means, Snape. Just keep reading."

"But we fear that something will happen. The Ministry's future laws on werewolves may not allow Remus to be the executor of the will. If that's the case, we don't know what might happen. Therefore, we implore you…" Again, Severus stopped and glared. "That means plead or ask with strong desire."

"Shut up and read, Snape. We don't need a running commentary."

The dark man cleared his throat. "Therefore, we implore you to please put your past behind you for the task we set before you." He paused, swallowing a lump in his throat.

"Will you just continue, Snape?" Black bit. Severus sighed and continued.

"But first, James wants to apologize, Severus. He admits he messed up and treated you awfully. You were just a kid. You both were. But he grew up. He hates the fact that he was a bully. He feels so guilty for the choices he made. You two are actually more similar than you want to believe." The potions master took a deep breath.

Sirius let the silence envelope them. Anything he said in this moment could and would be held against him in the court of Moony.

Severus sighed. "We fear that someone won't listen to us. That they'll still send Harry to Tuney. If that happens, we want both you and Sirius to take him away immediately. We've named both of you as Harry's godfathers. We know Sirius will love Harry more than anything and care for him more than himself, but he's not the most responsible person we know (James wants me to add in here that he is sorry, Padfoot, but it's true). We also know Severus will discipline Harry and care for him, but might not teach him how to have fun. Besides your position as a spy might be a bit of inconvenient."

"A bit of inconvenient?" Sirius scoffed. Severus glared.

"Please, raise him together. We hope both of you will accept our offer to live in Potter Manor. We've set it up so that each of you can live in separate wings. We don't expect miracles, but you two are the people we trust most with our son. We know both of you will love him, because he's a part of both of us. Please try and get along for Harry's sake. He'll need both of you. We love you both, Lily and James Potter."

The letter shook, causing the air to fill with the sound of trembling paper. Sirius snatched the letter from the professor. He read it over several times.

"They can't be serious."

"No," Severus said, arms crossing over his chest. "You are."

The animagus stared at him. He narrowed his eyes. The sides of his lips began to tremble. He smirked.

"Good one." Sirius sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Maybe-and I mean maybe-this can work out." He tapped his chin. "What happens now?"

"We could demand our rights." The potions master slapped the parchment. "It's right here in black and white that he's ours."

"Well, first, I think I need to take a page from James' book." The animagus straightened, jaw clenching. "If we raise Harry together, you should know that I'm sorry for the way I treated you in school." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I was a jerk, even worse than James. I hated you simply because of your house, and that wasn't right. _Then_ , I put your life in danger. No one deserves that."

The potions master snorted. "Oh, really?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "What I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry and I think we should at least try to be civil for Harry."

Severus sighed. "I accept your apology. I also am sorry for the ways I retaliated at you. I might have been defending myself, but some were cruel."

Sirius stretched out a hand. Severus took it. They shook.

At this exact moment, Remus walked in. His jaw dropped.

"I'm sorry, I seemed to have walked into a parallel universe. I'm going to close this door and I should walk in on my best friend pummeling a Hogwarts staff member. Goodbye." Remus shut the door and walked in again. He looked over at his best friend acting civilly with Severus Snape. "Did I hit my head on something?"

Sirius laughed and handed the letter to Remus. Remus read the letter. He read it again. He then read it one more time. He looked up at the men and promptly fainted. The two men stared at the pile on the floor.

"Well, someone needs to wake up Sleeping Beauty here." Sirius looked over at Severus. The potions master rolled his eyes and stooped down to the werewolf's level. He shook the man several times until he woke up. "You okay, Moony?"

Remus moaned. "Nothing will ever be the same again."


End file.
